The Intersection(s) at Vale
by KillerQueen312
Summary: Jaune Arc was supposed to be an ordinary high school student. Jaune Arc was not supposed to help huntsmen and huntresses with supernatural problems that he barely knows how to handle. Meeting that vampire during spring break was a freak accident. His parents said huntsman academies were too dangerous. Turns out high school was no less dangerous for him.
1. Chapter 1: Blake Ghost, Part 1

**The Intersection(s) at Vale**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY or any of its characters. I'm just playing around with Rooster Teeth's property.**

 **A/N: This new story is something that I've been having on my mind since starting the Monogatari series. As such, this story will take many inspirations from said series. This isn't a crossover, however. It is simply adopting some ideas and themes (or a lot of it), while still keeping it RWBY. I don't really consider this to be a fusion crossover, since it's still set in Remnant. The only thing making it different is the fairy tales being more involved with the world.**

 **That being said, this story is effectively an AU. While the White Fang is very much going to be a thing, as it is an integral part of Blake's backstory, Salem will be taking a back seat, very far in the back, or even straight up thrown out of the picture, for reasons that you readers will understand after reading far enough.**

 **With that said, let's start!**

* * *

 _Prologue: Blake Ghost, Part 1_

It didn't take long for the light to turn green. Putting a foot on the pedal, Jaune rode his bicycle past the traffic light towards his destination. Said destination being the place of his part-time job; Tukson's Book Trade. The owner had been kind enough to lend him the job when he started high school in Vale. It wasn't that he was short on money. He was actually pretty well off, considering his father was a huntsman, and a good one at that. His family always sent money to his account every month or so. It was always enough for necessities and his rent.

No. He wasn't short on money. He just needed something to keep his mind off his family. Being in his third year of high school, he would say that he had done quite well in putting his mind off them for the last two years.

 _Perhaps a little too well,_ Jaune thought, narrowing his eyes as a car almost hit him as he passed, despite the light clearly being red on the car's side.

Two years ago when he first moved to the city, he probably would've yelped and fallen off his bike. Now, however, it was nothing more than an annoyance, seeing that scenarios like these were quite common in a city as busy as Vale.

His bike maneuvered past the traffic with ease that could not come from anywhere else but repetition. A swerve to the right as he moved past a car. Another to the left. Take a straight path before heading left on the intersection.

Yes. Repetition was certainly the right word. Monotonous was probably a correct word to describe it too.

Monotonous…

He wished it were still like that. His life, that is.

 _A sharp pain struck him, ripping the nerves of his neck apart. He could feel his throat twisting and tearing, blood draining off the stump of his neck as it sprouted like a fountain of blood while his eyes took in the sight of it all, while his head was already disconnected from the rest of his body and flying through the air. He tried to take a deep breath, before remembering that his lungs were down there with his body. He closed his eyes._

And opened them, seeing nothing but the book store in front of him. He blinked twice, pushing the memory of spring break to the back of his mind. Tukson had certainly cleaned up since he was last here. He remembered that the front wall had some graffiti last Sunday. Must've covered it up with some fresh paint. And it looked like Tukson had decided to repaint the whole exterior of the store, since the walls looked clean and dry, no dirt spots whatsoever.

Oh, well. He had no doubt that the walls would look no different than before in a few months. That didn't mean he did not enjoy the sight of it.

Sighing with a smile, Jaune got off his bike and led it to the back of the store, where he locked the wheels as a precaution against thieves. Pushing the back door open, Jaune heard a greeting from Tukson himself. Giving back a greeting of his own, Jaune put his school bag in a small locker in the back room.

Tukson had no set uniform, but that doesn't mean Jaune was free to wear whatever he wanted. Shrugging off his Pumpkin Pete's hoodie, Jaune pulled a checkered black and white shirt from his bag and changed into it. He made sure to put on his nametag before heading out to the store.

"How's your day, Jaune?" Tukson asked as he leaned on the counter. The large faunus with thick sideburns had a pretty intense face, if Jaune were being honest. It didn't matter much though, since the man was all smiles. Even if most of his smiles were practiced smiles reserved for customers.

"The usual," Jaune shrugged before walking up to some boxes by a shelf. Opening one of them, Jaune began to set the books tidily by genre. "Slow day?"

Tukson sighed, "Not many customers come during weekdays, but today's even fewer than usual."

Jaune hummed as he knelt down, putting a particularly large hard-cover book on a bottom shelf. "I saw that you repainted the exterior."

"It was a long time coming, to be honest," Tukson shrugged. "I wouldn't be surprised if those dirt spots return in a few months. Heck, maybe even weeks!"

Then the bell above the door rang, signifying a customer. "Welcome!" Tukson greeted, before perking up in surprise. "Blake?"

"Hello, Tukson," said a black haired girl wearing a black buttoned vest, along with sleeveless, high necked, crop undershirt. She also wore white shorts and dark purple stockings. Jaune couldn't help but look up at her amber eyes, and then at her bow. He couldn't place it, but it felt off. It was cute, but somehow Jaune could see that she was a tad bit uncomfortable with it.

His sisters would jokingly call it his _woman's intuition_. Well, he couldn't help but develop such a thing after living with nine females for most of his life, could he?

"You never come on a Wednesday," Tukson said. "What changed?"

"I got into Beacon last week," the girl, Blake, said. "I guess that changed. Had to rethink my schedule now that I have assignments and training in it."

"Well congratulations, then!" Tukson said with more cheer than he usually showed. Genuine too. "I'm guessing you haven't met Jaune?"

"New employee?"

"I've been here for two years, actually," Jaune answered for himself, dusting his hands on his jeans as he stood up. "I guess we just never come across each other. I'm a part timer, after all."

"Tukson never said anything about a part timer."

"He didn't?" Jaune asked, eyes meeting Tukson's. The older man had the decency to look a little sheepish.

"Must've slipped my mind," he scratched the back of his head with a laugh.

"For two years?" Jaune asked.

"I have a lot on my mind."

"…"

Jaune rolled his eyes and sighed, not wanting any argument between him and his boss. "So, are you looking for any particular book?" Jaune asked the black haired girl. Her eyes glanced to the side, as if unsure. Odd. If she were a regular, shouldn't she have a fairly good idea of what she'd be looking for?

"Jaune. I think I'll handle this," Tukson cut in.

"No, it's fine," Blake immediately replied. "I'm not here for my usual books."

Usual books? Jaune thought for a moment on what would incite such a special treatment. Seeing Tukson's treatment of her, they must've gone way back. Perhaps even before he came to work for the faunus. Judging by Tukson's quick interference, it was probably something embarrassing. Something private, it seemed? A peculiar taste? Something risqué?

 _Smut_?

Jaune looked at her for a second, realizing that they were probably the same age. He wasn't really a fan of those kinds of books, but he could certainly understand the appeal.

They were at _that_ age, after all...

Ultimately, though, it was none of his business. And right now, she was looking for other sort of books. He ran a hand through his mop of blond hair. He really needed to stop thinking of people like this. It wasn't healthy, and not to mention impolite. Her reading tastes are her own. She didn't need his profiling.

It was hard for him to get over the events of spring break, and the _habits_ he developed after it. He even flinched when going outside for the first few times after it was over.

He wondered how _Cinder_ was doing right now…

"Then what books are you looking for?" Jaune asked politely. "Maybe I can help."

"I'm looking for books on occults and the supernatural."

Jaune blinked. "Supernatural? Like ghosts?" he asked. Blake only nodded with a serious expression. Asking no more questions, Jaune led her to the appropriate shelf. She scanned the shelf for a moment before nodding in satisfaction.

"Thank you. I'll take it from here," she said.

It didn't take long for her to return with a few books. Some of them considerably thick. Jaune stood behind the counter as he checked the prices on each of them. A few of the titles caught his eye. _Accounts of Hauntings_ , _Ghosts and the Psyche_ , _Banishment Rituals_ , and the list went on. He looked at the raven-haired girl who was waiting patiently for the check.

"If you don't mind me asking," Jaune started, looking at the girl for any sign of disapproval. He found none. "Doesn't Beacon have a library of its own? I heard it has quite the collection."

"I've checked the library. Unfortunately, it doesn't have what I'm looking for," Blake answered.

"That's surprising," Jaune replied as he put the purchased books into a single bag. "You'd think Beacon's library would have pretty much everything."

"Well, it doesn't!" she snapped. Jaune was a little taken back, and it seemed so was the huntress in training. "I'm sorry."

"It's fine," Jaune said. "I haven't had the best day either. That'll be 113 Lien."

She handed him the appropriate amount of Lien. Taking the money from her, Jaune noticed how cold her fingers were as it brushed against his. Instead of cold and dry, her fingers were clammy, and Jaune noticed a trail of sweat running down her cheeks. Her skin also looked unhealthily pale.

Putting the money in the cash register, Jaune turned to her. "You okay? You look pale."

She flinched. "I'm fine. You don't need to concern yourself with me," she said, taking the bag full of books with her. She turned back from the counter and proceeded to walk out of the store. Jaune couldn't help but examine her, taking in small details.

Her movement felt heavy, and the arm that was holding the bag seemed to tremble, too small to notice, unless you were specifically looking for something. It wasn't until Jaune looked at her legs again when he noticed that they seemed to be dragging themselves, as if they were too heavy to lift, as if there were invisible arms dragging her downwards to the ground. She wasn't so disturbed when she came into the store, but now that she was leaving it, Jaune couldn't ignore what was happening.

"Wait!"

The girl turned around in surprise and looked him in the eye. "What!?" she asked, taking a deep breath before exhaling it. Jaune blinked twice, contemplating the words that would come out of his mouth.

"Is there something holding on to your legs? Your arms, as well? Something invisible?"

The girl blinked in surprise, taking in his words. She didn't grace him with a verbal answer, but the desperate look in her eyes cemented Jaune's resolve. He looked around, making sure that Tukson was in the back room and nowhere near them.

Jaune promptly pulled out his scroll and dialed a number. "I know someone who can help."

* * *

 **Short, but it's intended to be. It is just the prologue, after all. I wonder if any of you would think that Jaune is a bit OOC here, because that's kind of true. This Jaune isn't the same dork that applied to Beacon with no training. This Jaune is someone who has lived on his own for more than two years, and he lived in a big city such as Vale. That's also not taking into account the incident that befell him during spring break. Some of you might be familiar of what it entails, but for those who aren't, all will be explained in due time. Don't worry, though. He is still a dork at heart, and you will see many dorky side of Jaune in the future.**

 **I would be happy to get some critics in order to improve, but I'm most looking forward to the questions.** **So, tell me what you think about it. Don't forget to follow, favorite, and especially review.**


	2. Chapter 2: Blake Ghost, Part 2

**The Intersection(s) at Vale**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY or any of its characters. I'm just playing around with Rooster Teeth's property.**

* * *

 **in·ter·sec·tion**

 **in(t)ərˈsekSH(ə)n**

 ** _noun_**

 _a point or line common to lines or surfaces that intersect._

 ** _"the intersection of a plane and a cone"_**

 _a point at which two or more things intersect, especially roads._

 ** _"red and green lights at the nearby intersection"_**

 _an action of intersecting._

 ** _"his course is on a direct intersection with ours"_**

* * *

 _Blake Ghost, Part 2_

"Why are you helping me?"

Jaune shrugged. "Why not?"

Blake Belladona, as she introduced herself after they both got out of the bookstore, leaned on his back as she sat sideways on the passenger seat of his bike. Despite the problem plaguing her, Jaune could not feel any added weight as he pedaled his bike. From her tight expression, she seemed to be the only one feeling the added weight.

She scoffed, "You're stupid if you think you can just help everyone."

"I'm not trying to help everyone," Jaune countered. "Just you right now."

"And that makes it better?"

"Shouldn't it?"

"That naivety isn't going to carry you for long," she sighed.

"I like to call it being optimistic," Jaune replied. "You should try it."

Letting out a scoff, Blake didn't reply to his jab, and instead, gazed off towards the orange glow of Remnant's setting sun.

After a moment of silence, Jaune took a glance back at Blake. Now that he was out of his work environment, he took the time to examine her. She was quiet, which seemed to be her natural persona. Black hair framed her doll-like face perfectly. Her eyes were sharp, almost like a cat, and her amber eyes shone as it reflected the sun's rays.

Jaune would be lying if he said she wasn't beautiful. Despite her beauty, her bare arms clearly showed the results of her training. While they weren't bulky, Jaune could see that they were strong, having probably been accustomed to handling weapons for long periods of time. He glanced at her back, where her weapon rested comfortably, ready to be pulled out should the situation call for it.

"So, you're a student at Beacon, right?" Jaune asked, hoping to ease her mind off her predicament. Blake turned her head towards him. He didn't look back, eyes still focused on the road. The amount of cars had started to dwindle, and they seemed to have entered the quieter part of the city.

"I am," she answered. "Why?"

"You know, I used to dream of attending Beacon," he said in a wistful tone. "But things happened, and well, I'm wondering how it's like for you there."

Seeing no harm in indulging his curiosity, Blake thought for a moment on her time in Beacon. While it hadn't been what she'd exactly call smooth sailing, things went rather well. A major part of her was still bristling at the thought of being teammate with a Schnee. Some part of her wanted to give the white haired girl a chance, but a part of her doubted the Schnee would be more amicable in the future. She was barely tolerating the presence of her partner, which so happened to be their leader as well.

"It was… good," she answered.

Jaune frowned. "You entered one of the most prestigious schools in Remnant, and you only say it's _good_?" he questioned her.

"Well what do you want me to say?" she responded exasperatedly. "It has only been a week for me, and it's a school. It's a place to study. I bet it's not that different from yours, even if you're only a high-schooler."

Jaune grumbled something incoherent, but ultimately looked back at her and said, "Sorry."

Giving a hum as a response, Blake took a moment to inspect her unexpected helper. He was about her age, around 17 or 18. He had a mop of messy blonde hair that that looked like it would be really hard to tame. His was good looking enough, but there was a certain hardness to his expression that Blake would never have seen on most civilians' faces. As she leaned on his back, she could feel his lean but fit body. Almost like that of a huntsman, or someone with similar training.

Like _Adam's_.

He must have worked out. Blake could not see any other reason a civilian would have on having such a fit body, and from what he said, he had been dreaming of going to Beacon, but not anymore. No reason for him to train regularly, unless it was an old habit.

But she could be wrong. Having logic did not guarantee her to be correct on her assumptions.

She hated that.

"I need to make a call, if you don't mind," Jaune called out to her, and continued before she could respond. "Don't worry. There aren't many cars around in this part of the city."

"Fine."

Jaune did not slow down his bike and simply took out his scroll from his left pocket. It looked too practised for it to be anything but a habit. Riding while on the scroll. It was nowhere near her crimes, but she supposed everyone had their fair share of sins, as big or as small as they were.

Pushing a number into his scroll, he waited for a few seconds before his eyes perked up, a sign that his call was answered. "Hey, Whitley."

"…"

"Yeah, sorry. I can't make it to our study session tonight."

"…."

"Something came up."

"….."

"Look. I'll make it up to you in a few days."

"…..."

"Yeah, yeah. I'll even bring you some of those cheese tarts that you like so much."

"…..."

"Yes, I can afford them! What do you take me for?"

"…..."

"Okay, fine. See you later, Whitley."

Pocketing his scroll, Jaune let out a long sigh, even as he kept pedaling his bike. "A friend?" Blake asked.

"A classmate of mine. I kind of forgot that I have a study session with him tonight," Jaune admitted.

"Sorry for taking your time," Blake said.

"It's fine. As long as I've known him during high school, Whitley always brushes things like these off. He's always so unflappable, so calm and reserved, and not to mention his high marks."

Blake raised an eyebrow. "You sound like you admire him."

"I guess I do," Jaune chuckled. "He's always helping me out, even though he's two years younger than me. I owe him a lot. I don't think I would be in my third year of high school if it weren't for him. He practically dragged me off the ground and tutored me until my grades were passable. Doesn't stop him from tutoring me afterwards, though."

Blake stared down at the road, eyes downcast. What he described, it was almost too similar to how she had viewed Adam. Beacon was to be her safe haven, a place where she could restart her life, turn over a new leaf. She sighed. She could not let every little thing remind her of her old life.

"We're here," Jaune startled her out of her thoughts. Blake moved off the bike to stand up and examine the place where Jaune's supposed "help" was residing. It was a crude-looking apartment, no more than ten floors, and it looked barely inhabitable, as only a few lights were on, despite the impending darkness of the night.

"Are you sure this is the place?" Blake asked skeptically.

"Of course. I'd never forget the address to this place. I owe too much to the guy," Jaune said, locking the front wheel of his bike for good measure.

"He must've been a big help," Blake mused.

Jaune shrugged, "Yeah, and it doesn't help that I owe the guy a large sum of money as well."

"What?"

"I hope you have some money on you, or wherever you keep them. This guy doesn't exactly offer his services for free," Jaune informed her.

Blake bristled, feeling more than annoyed at the new info. "And you didn't think to tell me this before bringing me here!?"

"You don't have to pay him tonight. Just make sure not to forget the debt," Jaune assured her. "Heck. If he asks for some favors later on, use it to lessen your debt."

"Is that why you're still in contact with this man?"

Jaune shrugged, "Among other things."

Blake was beginning to get sick of how much of his answers were accompanied by a shrug, like he wasn't taking things seriously.

"Fine," she huffed. "Lead me to him."

* * *

The interior of the dusty apartment was no different than the exterior. That much she could see while they were walking up the staircase. Scrapped paint, dusty corners, and Blake even swore she saw a rat scurrying off to a dark corner. How could anyone live comfortably here? It reminded her too much of her time during the White Fang, where she along with her brother and sisters would often relocate to different bases. Practicality was the main thing in the White Fang, not comfort. Sometimes, they have no time for such, or simply unable to afford it.

Trapped within her own thoughts, Blake couldn't help but feel the added weight straddling her legs and arms. She needed something to distract her. Anything. Thinking of her old life only made the weights heavier.

"Tell me about him," Blake said, breaking the thick silence between the two of them.

Jaune stopped on his ascent, looked at her for a second from the top of the staircase and said, "You'll see soon enough."

Blake narrowed her eyes at his noncommittal answer. "Fine!" she huffed. "Then tell me how you met him. What did he help you with?"

Jaune looked to the side for a moment and put a hand under his chin, as if in deep thought. He looked at her, whose annoyed expression he took in stride.

"I guess you could say I had a vampire problem during spring break," he said.

Blake blinked. "Vampires aren't real," she said, narrowing her eyes in disbelief.

Jaune sighed, thinking of a way to make her believe him. A memory of a few news articles came to his mind. "Do you remember the news about the ruined mall and destroyed highway from a few months back?"

Blinking at the change of subject, Blake seemed to remember reading about such a thing on the papers after her escape from the White Fang. It was all over the news channels as well. "I guess so. They said the incident happened during the night and that there were no casualties, but the cost of the damage was considerably high."

"And the people then blamed the incident on the White Fang, claiming that they're sending the humans a message," Jaune continued.

"What does that have to do with this?" Blake asked, bristling inside at the mention of the White Fang, but showing no outside reaction.

"It all happened during spring break," Jaune said, prompting Blake to put things together.

Looking at him in shock, Blake asked, "That was you!?"

"Well," Jaune scratched the back of his head. "Not exactly me. There were a lot of things at play back then. There's that, and I couldn't really control myself when I first became a vampire."

"You're a vampire!?"

" _Former_ vampire," Jaune said, emphasizing on the "former". "If I were still a vampire, do you really think I'd be able to stand under the sun so casually?"

Conceding to his point, Blake asked, "So you're a human again thanks to this man?"

Jaune sighed, "Yeah. Although, there are still some aftereffects of the transformation. My wounds heal faster, I am stronger and faster than the average person, but not to the point where I'd be able to take on a huntsman. And this is all without my aura unlocked."

Blake still looked skeptical, even after the revelation that had been dumped on her. Vampires… The idea that such creatures from bed-time fairy tales existed in real life, admittedly, scared her a bit. Just what was going on in the world? Were such things common? If vampires, supernatural beings from old tales, existed, then what was the problem plaguing her?

"Do you want me to prove it to you?" Jaune asked.

She blinked, processing his offer in her mind before asking, "How?"

He extended his left hand. "Let me borrow your sword," Jaune said. At her cautious look, he sighed. "I'm not going to hurt you. Besides, I know I won't be able to beat you in my current state, weapon or no."

Unsheathing her weapon, Jaune took it with little ceremony and tested the weight on his hand. "It's lighter than I thought it'd be," he mused.

"Just get on with it," Blake said impatiently.

Looking a little annoyed, Jaune huffed, "Okay."

Then, without any warning, he slashed the palm of his right hand. True to his words, the black blade cut through skin and flesh without any resistance. He truly did not have his aura unlocked. Still holding her sword, his left arm fell limp to his side. Blake's eyes, however, were glued to the palm of his right hand. The cut he inflicted on himself started to seep a large amount of blood; enough to cascade down to the floor and make a small puddle. After a few seconds, however, the wound closed, mending itself as if it was being stitched by an invisible force. Other than the blood, there were no remains of his wound. Blake blinked a few times, making sure she wasn't hallucinating. Looking up at the blond, she noted how he didn't even flinch at cutting open his palm. Evidently, he had dealt with worse.

He sighed, "Satisfied?"

Blake narrowed her eyes, but gave a nod. Wiping the blood off her sword with the ribbon attached to it, Blake sheathed her blade on her back. "We shouldn't dawdle here, then," she said.

"Right."

* * *

Jaune knocked on the apartment door, numbered 202, despite being on the sixth floor. Blake had the suspicion that the original door had been broken, and the owner had just gone up and stole room 202's door to fix his own.

Not getting an answer, Jaune sighed tiredly before turning the door knob and pushing the door open. It hadn't been locked. Blake didn't know whether she should count themselves fortunate, or chide the resident for being so careless. Her thoughts were interrupted, however, when the sharp smell of alcohol, lots of alcohol assaulted her nose.

"Hrmph!" she gasped, her eyes watering. Hastily covering her nose, she took in her new surroundings. A messy but bare bones apartment greeted her. The lights were dim, and there were a few empty bottles strewn about, confirming the source of the foul smell. However, it did not prepare her for the individual sitting lazily on a chair while gulping down a flask of alcohol like it was a water canteen.

"Yo, Jaune," the man greeted. Messy untamed black hair framed his face. The grey dress shirt with coat tails was supposed to paint a smart image, but it was all ruined with the man's torn dark red cloak, rough stubble, and half-lidded intoxicated eyes.

"Qrow," Jaune greeted back.

"Now, this is unexpected," Qrow chuckled, red eyes full of mirth. "Not only do you come without buying some cream puffs, but you also come while bringing a girl with you. Cinder won't be happy, you know?"

Jaune rolled his eyes, "I'll buy her some cream puffs sometime later. I'm here on business today."

"Business, huh?" Qrow drawled. "My, you're lively tonight. Did something good happen to you?"

"Excuse me," Blake cut in. The older man lazily looked at her. "I would prefer if we finish this tonight."

Inspecting her with a raised eyebrow, Qrow took note of her weapon, as well as her tense posture. She was trained, that much was obvious. Trained very well, too.

"Say…" he gestured at her.

"Blake. Blake Belladona."

"Blake," he called. "What exactly is your problem?"

* * *

Qrow nodded after hearing the explanation from the both of them. "I see… Are they weighing you down right now? Those… hands that you felt?"

"Yes," Blake looked at the floor. "But they're lessening."

"That's because you're not actively thinking about them right now," Qrow cut her off. "Say, you're a student at Beacon, right?"

Despite her confusion at him knowing said information, she nodded, "Yes."

"My nieces are in Beacon as well. Who knows? Maybe you've met them," he chuckled. "But anyway, tell me. Do you socialize often?"

"Not really," she said. "I'm not exactly a person who goes out of their way to look for friends."

"Because you don't want to or because you're afraid to?" Qrow asked, leaning on his chair. He opened his flask and took a swig. "Jaune mentioned before that you both met in that book store of his where he works. I take it you're a regular?"

"Somewhat…"

"So you like to read," Qrow nodded. "I take it that it's to take your mind off things; off the past. Something you'd rather forget and bury, am I right?"

Blake visibly flinched, but the black haired girl did not answer the man. She simply narrowed her eyes at his prodding.

"Your problem is a little case of _Ghost Sickness_ , if you're wondering," Qrow drawled, taking another swig from his flask.

"Ghost sickness?" Jaune asked, breaking his silence to join the conversation.

"Yup," Qrow said. "It's a type of spiritual sickness where ghosts gather onto a person, with various effects. Sometimes, it's a high fever, lack of appetite, or even constant feeling of pain. Blake here seems to have being weighed down as her symptom."

"If there are a lot of different symptoms, how can you be so sure?" Jaune asked.

"Easy. She distances herself from people, going out of her way to distract herself. To forget. And the ghosts don't like that. They don't want to be forgotten. That's mainly why ghost sickness manifests, after all. There's something bothering you from your past, am I right, Blake?" Qrow prodded her, his red eyes drilling into her amber ones as a form of challenge.

"Ghost sickness usually manifests on someone with extreme feeling of guilt of what they've done," Qrow continued. "They feel that they deserve to die for their sins. It's usually only a ghost or two, but you said that you can feel around more than a dozen, or even tens of hands dragging you down?"

Blake glared at Qrow, and the older man gazed back at her challengingly, as if asking her to confirm his theory.

Qrow leaned forward on his seat. "I wonder how many people you've killed to earn that many ghosts…"

"I DID NOT KILL THOSE PEOPLE!"

Jaune was stunned into silence, staring at the black haired girl beside him. She was breathing heavily after her outburst, and Jaune could see tears gathering in the corners of her eyes. Despite the tears, she was glaring at Qrow; her expression scrunched into a fury Jaune didn't think was possible for the calm young woman.

"Doesn't matter what you believe, girl," Qrow drawled. "Those ghosts have marked you, and they're not letting go until the matter's resolved."

"Then help me! Save me!" she hissed.

Qrow shrugged, "I can't save you, Blake. I can only help you save yourself."

Blake stood up straight once more, but she was still leveling a glare at the older man. Seeing as she wasn't talking, Qrow continued, "There's one thing to do here that would be the fastest. We'll have to confront the ghosts. Correction. _You'll_ have to confront the ghosts, Blake."

"How?" she asked, silently dreading the answer.

Qrow pocketed his flask and stood up. Reaching down under the table, Blake was stunned to see a large black and red sword with an assortment of mechanical attachments to it. The sight itself was enough for Blake to confirm one thing.

This "Qrow" was a huntsman.

Qrow smirked and brushed his bangs upwards, "We're going to the crime scene. The place where your guilt manifested."

Jaune took a glance at Blake's face after Qrow's declaration. Her eyes were wide in shock, and Jaune swore he caught a hint of fear. Her mouth was slack, as if she wanted to say something, but whatever it was, it was stuck on the back of her throat.

Walking past the stricken girl, sword strapped behind him, Qrow placed a hand on Jaune's shoulder and whispered, "Take her to your place. Give her something warm to drink, and preferably a shower. She'll need it. You'll need one too, if you plan on coming along. Ghosts don't particularly like tainted people, in more ways than one."

"I take it you'll be cleaning yourself as well?" Jaune questioned.

"I have something to take care before that," Qrow said. "Prepare some things for tonight and all that. Oh, and make sure her teammates know she's spending the night in Vale. Best not to add any more things to the problem. We'll meet at the northern bullhead station in two hours."

"You know the place we need to go?" Jaune asked.

"I have a feeling since I laid eyes on her," Qrow whispered. "There was an incident a few months back in Forever Fall. Her appearance matches with the surviving security footages that we found."

Jaune wordlessly nodded at the older man, trusting his judgement. Qrow had never led him astray, and he doubted he'd start now, of all times. He was still curious as to who's "we", however. Even with all his prodding after the vampire debacle during spring break, the alcoholic wouldn't budge. Jaune figured that it was probably other huntsmen and huntresses that were in on the case. After all, with all the news coverage on the incident, Jaune doubted that Qrow was the only one aware of the student's vampiric incident. There was a larger power at play here, but Jaune was in no hurry to uncover it, even if he was a tad bit curious. He preferred to be left alone, anyway.

Walking towards the door, Qrow cracked his neck, letting the bones pop back in place. Turning his head, Qrow called out, "I'm leaving the place to you, Cinder!"

At the call of her name, a child popped out from a room in the corner. She had ashen-black hair and bright amber eyes. She was small, looking no more than an eight year old in stature. She wore a dark red sleeveless hoodie with frilled blue skirt, while in her hands, she held a scroll tablet. Jaune could hear the familiar sound of "Duststone" playing from the tablet. Giving a small nod of acknowledgement to the retreating huntsman, her eyes locked with Jaune's. The blond smiled apologetically at the small girl.

"Sorry, Cinder. No cream puffs for today," he said.

She pouted and leveled him a glare that Jaune would certainly call cute, but not dare say out loud. He already had one emotional girl in his hands tonight. Best not add another into the fray, especially a fallen vampire. Fallen or no, she packed a mean punch. Turning back to retreat into her room, Cinder closed the door, effectively cutting off any form of contact.

Jaune turned his attention to Blake, who was still standing still. She seemed to be curling into herself, her arms hugging herself and hands clenching her arms. She was in shock. That much was obvious. Even after a few minutes, she did not budge from her position, and Jaune had the suspicion that it wasn't only the shock, but the added weight of the ghosts locking her in place.

"Come on, Blake," Jaune put a hand on her shoulder. She flinched, but Jaune did not let go. "We best get ready."

* * *

 **Wow. I did not expect such an amount of followers after just the first chapter. I really appreciate it, guys. A guest reviewer mentioned on how he/she wants Neo to be the parallel to Shinobu. As you can see in this chapter, that is not the case. But rest assured. I already have a role for Neo in future chapters.**

 **Not much to say here, really. Ask any questions in a review. No spoiler questions, though. If you want spoiler answers, PM me the question. Also, future updates probably won't be as fast as this one, as I'm juggling another fic alongside this. At the latest, expect a month-long wait time. Fastest time of update will obviously be within a few days or a few weeks. I know it sucks, but college is killing my time.**

 **Follow, favorite, and review!**


	3. Chapter 3: Blake Ghost, Part 3

**The Intersection(s) at Vale**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY or any of its characters. I'm just playing around with Rooster Teeth's property.**

* * *

 **in·ter·sec·tion**

 **in(t)ərˈsekSH(ə)n**

 _ **noun**_

 _a point or line common to lines or surfaces that intersect._

 _ **"the intersection of a plane and a cone"**_

 _a point at which two or more things intersect, especially roads._

 _ **"red and green lights at the nearby intersection"**_

 _an action of intersecting._

 _ **"his course is on a direct intersection with ours"**_

* * *

 _Blake Ghost, Part 3_

"Is the water warm enough?" Jaune asked from the kitchen.

"It's fine," Blake answered, voice a little muffled by the bathroom door.

Letting out a long sigh, Jaune probably should've expected the night to be long when he offered Blake his hand. Putting two tea bags into two cups, Jaune turned on the water heater and waited for the water to boil. The sound of running water from the bathroom helped him think.

Ghost sickness? It had only been a few months since his first experience with the lesser known parts of Remnant, namely the mystic part, but even Jaune had to admit that it unsettled him. Pulling out his scroll, Jaune opened the message Qrow had sent him just after he left.

 _Keep her mind off things…_

 _It helps._

And just how was he to do that? After messaging her teammates on her own scroll, Blake had promptly shut herself in. Any questions he asked were ignored, yet she complied with anything he asked of her. It was like she had lost the will.

Well not on his watch. And not while they still had this matter to resolve. Besides, it would be too much of a hassle. They needed Blake's guidance to return to the place of the incident, and having a husk of a woman dragging herself through Forever Fall was the last thing they needed, especially if her negativity attracted Grimms. At least she seemed more inclined to answer him now that she was showering. The warm water must've worked wonders.

Looking around his apartment, it was then that Jaune began to realize something.

This was the first time he brought a girl to his place… And she was using his shower… He couldn't help but let a blush creep up to his face as he exhaled through his nose. What would his sisters say? Oh, he had no doubt that they'd pester him on how to treat a woman right.

 _Be gentle with her_ , they would say.

Screw that! This woman was cutting into his precious weekday night (and whose fault was that?). And even if this was his first time bringing a girl home, it wasn't even for fun. He was to babysit her!

At the thought of that, his hormones deflated like a balloon running out of air. Speaking of air, the water in the heater seemed to have boiled, loudly pushing out steam. Jaune promptly poured the boiling water into each cup and set them on the kitchen counter, watching as the teabags started to seep in its leaf juice.

To be honest, Jaune was more of a coffee with cream kind of guy, but he wasn't sure what Blake liked. Besides, he was in the mood for some tea. Speaking about being in the mood…

His hormones inflated back up at the sight of Blake in nothing but a towel covering her torso and another covering her hair, looking at him expectantly from the bathroom door.

"Sorry, but," she started. "I misplaced my clothes during the shower and now they're wet. Do you have any clothes I can use?"

Jaune exhaled hot air through his nose. Lil' Jaune, on the other hand, did not exhale (not that it should be able to), but it was slowly rising.

 _Down, Lil' Jaune! Down!_

 _ **BARK!**_

 _Why the hell is it barking!?_

Cutting himself from his overactive imagination, Jaune replied in a calm manner that was totally not forced in any sort of way, "I tthink I have some clothes belonging to my sisters. I'll try to find something that fits you. Don't worry! I won't choose anything inappropriate! Arc promise!"

Nodding her thanks, she went back into the bathroom to dry herself again. Meanwhile, Jaune walked into his room to open his second set of closet. Well, calling it his closet would be inaccurate. It was practically his sisters' closet. They don't visit often, but when they do, they walk around like they own the place… He could never forget the day when Whitley came to his apartment and came across a blue bra on his couch. It took many hours and many more teasing on Whitley's part before the younger boy caved in and believe him.

Digging through the closet, Jaune fished out some sports underwear. There was no way in hell he's digging through his sisters' lingerie, and Blake would (probably) not appreciate it either. After that, though? Something that would fit walking through a forest? A simple T-shirt should suffice, and he remembered that he had some track pants that he never really used in his closet. Maybe a hoodie as well to help against the cold night? One of his sisters had a hoodie the size of Blake, if he wasn't mistaken. It might be a little small, but it covers her torso. He hoped she won't mind that.

Returning with clothes in hand, Jaune knocked on the bathroom door. "Hello? I have some clothes for you here."

It didn't take long for Blake to answer by opening the door a bit, letting out steam and scent of body wash through the small gap. "Thanks," she muttered, promptly taking the offered clothes with an arm through the gap. It closed just as soon as it opened, cutting off their contact. Not that Jaune expected anything more.

Picking out a set of clothes for himself, Jaune waited for Blake to finish in the front room, legs on the coffee table while he read an old issue of X-Ray and Vav. He never told Whitley, but he had stopped buying new issues of the series for a few months now. While the series was amusing as usual, there was a part of him that couldn't help but feel tired whenever he read it. His mind always came back to that fateful day when he met Cinder, and how his life changed.

It was jarring, to say the least. To say that fantasy seems jarring when compared to reality just felt wrong…

He wondered what his family would think if they knew of his current circumstances. Would they be worried? Obviously. Would they drag him back home? Possibly. It wouldn't make much of a difference, though. What's done is done. He was a vampire now. _Former_ , he reminded himself.

"I'm done," said Blake as she exited the bathroom, already fully dressed, even complete with the black bow on top of her head. His own clothes in hand, Jaune walked towards the bathroom, intending to finish his own shower as quick as possible.

"There's tea in the kitchen," Jaune pointed behind him. Blake gave him a nod, and wordlessly sat on a chair by the kitchen counter. "Do you want me to wash your dirty clothes later, or…?"

"I'll take them back myself," Blake said. "Thanks for offering."

Seeing as she was fine for now, Jaune closed the bathroom door and immediately undressed. He turned the tap, sighing as the warm water greeted his skin. It didn't take him long to finish. He had always been quick at showering. An essential trait to have when you have eight sisters.

Jaune opened the bathroom door, already fully dressed save for his hoodie, and saw that Blake was still sitting by the kitchen counter, her hands gripping the cup full of tea. She blew the steam off repeatedly, but made no move to drink it. It was starting to make Jaune concerned. Even more so than before.

Putting his dirty clothes aside, Jaune moved to sit on a chair not far from Blake. He did not push the chair closer to her, giving her some personal space. Her face was still, eyes blinking down at the dark-colored tea. Taking his own cup, Jaune took a sip, eyes still watching her. Jaune let out a sigh as the warm tea filled his throat. Unlike his coffee, Jaune takes his tea plain; something he got used to after all the study sessions with Whitley. Jaune glanced at the clock on the wall, which showed the time to be a little over seven. Still around an hour left before they need to leave.

"Your tea will get cold, Blake," Jaune called out to her. She blinked, as if she was in a haze. Taking a sip of her own tea, if only out of obligation, she let out a long sigh not unlike the one Jaune let out before. Looking at her form, he asked, "Are the hands still dragging you down?"

"… Yes."

"I take it you don't want to talk about it?"

The irked glare from her was enough of an answer for him. Putting his hands up as a sign of surrender, Jaune let out a tired sigh. How was he supposed to take her mind off things when she wasn't even willing to talk? Damn it, Qrow! He was a high school student, not a psychiatrist! Think, Jaune! What could take her attention away? Something smart and thought provoking, something that would occupy her mind for the better!

"Fweh," Jaune blurted out. He went to cover his mouth in embarrassment, but realized that his mishap had gotten the full attention of the black haired girl. Her amber eyes drilled into his blue ones with one of her eyebrows raised.

"Um…" he started. "You never did tell what Beacon is really like."

* * *

Blake's glare intensified for a moment before she let her head hang tiredly as she sighed. After a few seconds of silence, she sat up straight to look at him. "You're asking that now?" she asked.

Jaune shrugged, "We have an hour to kill before we need to go. Might as well talk about something. In fact, I'll hold off on mine. I'll let you have the first question."

Blake was silent for a moment before she turned back to him with interest. "Who was that girl? The one with amber eyes and red hoodie?"

"You noticed her?" Jaune asked. "I mean, you were in that state of funk – okay, moving on." Jaune raised his hands in surrender again; regretting having brought up Blake's shocked state. Her nasty glare didn't help either.

"So who is she?"

"Well, that's Cinder," Jaune said.

"And she is…?"

"A vampire," he answered.

"Was she the one that… turned you?" Blake asked. Jaune only gave her a silent nod as an answer. She continued, "How did it happen?"

"It's… It's private…"

"Pardon?"

Jaune huffed, "It's not my place to tell. Nor is it hers… It's complicated."

"Fine," she grumbled, knowing that prodding him would be too much of an effort, as well as a lost cause, if his attitude was anything to go by. "Your turn. What do you want to ask about me?"

Blake certainly did not miss how his eyes shone and his whole posture perked up. It was like dealing with a curious child.

"Beacon accepts only the best students, right?" he asked with a silly grin on his face.

"I guess so."

"How good are they?" he asked. "Like, how strong are these people?"

Blake looked to the side for a moment, thinking of what to say as an answer before turning back to him. "I guess we're pretty strong. My team and another took down a giant Nevermore and a Deathstalker during initiation," she said.

"Woah! You fight Grimms for the initiation?"

Blake nodded. "They gave us an objective and threw us off a cliff towards Emerald Forest."

Jaune blinked in surprise, "That – that's insane…"

"But effective, I guess," Blake shrugged. "Certainly weeds out the strong and the weak. Besides, I'm sure the teachers are watching from a distance in case things get too bad. It'll give the school a bad rep if potential students actually die en masse."

"I guess so," Jaune replied, crossing his arms. "I guess there really was no hope of me ever attending Beacon…"

"I'm pretty sure with training, you would have passed," Blake assured him.

"That's the problem. I didn't have training. And I wouldn't have gotten one. My father made sure of that," Jaune said, looking down with an ugly expression. Blake wasn't entirely sure of his problem, but she didn't like the way his face scrunched up. She felt that it didn't fit his character.

She'd rather see his silly grin again.

"The people on my team aren't exactly people I would've considered to be a part of my social circle," she started, getting his attention again while changing the subject. "But I'd be lying if I said they're not growing on me." _Even the Schnee…_

"So I take it Beacon's good?" Jaune asked with a knowing smile on his face. Blake certainly didn't miss the way he reused her words from before. She couldn't help but give out a small chuckle.

"Yeah… It's good."

"Then I guess that's something to look forward for," Jaune said.

Blake tilted her head, "What do you mean?"

"Going back and confronting your past. Your… crimes..."

She flinched at that, and Jaune realized it as well. He did not stop, however.

"It's not going to be the end. This is just a detour in your path. A very much needed detour, but a detour nonetheless. Come the next day, you're going to go back to Beacon and continue down that path, right?"

Blake did not answer him, but she doubted that he needed one, or cared for one. Their next topic shifted to something more casual. Like their favorite books, favorite food, favorite season, etcetera. Without even realizing it, time had passed, even if Jaune was the one leading most of the conversation, with Blake nodding along or giving her insight when asked of her.

The small talk didn't solve anything, but it did distract her for a while. Her tea had gone cold, but she didn't mind. If anything, it was a nice distraction. The White Fang had little time for distractions. It had been missions, planning, training, missions, and then more planning. The cycle just goes on. Distractions were a luxury for her. One thing was certain when it comes to distractions, however.

They _end_.

* * *

Stopping his bike in front of the bullhead station, Jaune immediately saw Qrow's grizzled head peeking out from a railing above them. The older man gave him a small smirk before taking a swig from his flask.

"Matching set of clothes?" Qrow sniggered. "Did something good happen between you two while I was gone?"

Jaune took a glance at Blake, knowing that their clothes didn't exactly match, especially with her track pants and dark blank hoodie, as opposed to his Pumpkin Pete's one with jeans. But it was ammunition for the older man, nonetheless.

"I thought you said you'd clean up?" Jaune asked, looking at Qrow, who looked no different than usual.

Qrow huffed indignantly, "This is me being clean."

Seeing no point arguing with the huntsman, Jaune locked the front wheel of his bike on a parking spot and walked up the stairs towards the bullhead ramp. When he and Blake reached him, Jaune's eyes trailed downwards, seeing a familiar weapon by the older man's leg.

Kicking up the sword, Qrow caught it by the blade. He was casually holding it within his hand, showing a degree of skill at handling weapons. A surprising display, considering his usually less than sober state.

"Cinder figured you might need this, Jaune," Qrow smiled, before throwing the blade a Jaune. The teenager fumbled with the blade for a bit before grasping it tightly by the handle. Behind him, Blake looked with interest.

" _Grimmsever_?" Jaune asked, eying the wicked edges of the dark blade. The blade curved upwards, resembling a scimitar, and Jaune could feel the familiar hum of energy coursing through the sword.

Qrow nodded, "The very same blade you used to take on my sister."

"To be honest, it didn't make much of a difference," Jaune looked sheepishly to the side.

"A small difference is all it takes to balance the scale. Besides, you're alive right now thanks to this blade anyway. Even if you didn't beat her, that's more than most people can say," Qrow chuckled. "Considering we're venturing into Forever Fall, it'd be a bad idea to go in unarmed. While you may not be trained, you have some battle experience, no matter how recent or limited they are. Besides, the girl and I can't protect you all the time."

"I get it," Jaune nodded, holding the blade at his right side. "Still, for Cinder to produce this blade at her current state…"

"Yeah," Qrow nodded. "She's pretty weak right now. Forging that blade from her own aura took a lot out of her."

"Is it really a good idea?" Blake asked, prompting the two males to look at her. "Forever Fall is teeming with Grimm."

Qrow chuckled, patting Jaune on the head, "This boy here has some tricks up his sleeve. Don't you worry." Jaune tried swatting the offending hand away, but the huntsman stayed firm. Letting Jaune off after messing his hair, Qrow continued, "Besides, the amount of Grimm we'll be encountering depends on your ability to keep your thoughts away from your ghosts. You get me, don't you?"

Blake hesitantly nodded, prompting the man to continue. "The more stressed you are, the more Grimm will come. Keep calm, however, and we'll mostly arrive at the place unharmed with little trouble. That's why Jaune is here. He'll keep you distracted while you lead us there."

"Why does it have to be Jaune?" Blake asked.

"I know you don't like me," Qrow scoffed. "And I'll just look like a creep, chatting up someone the same age as my nieces. Besides, I have standards."

Blake narrowed her eyes at the backhanded assurance, but accepted his explanation nonetheless.

* * *

The bullhead ride was a short one, and the pilot left them by the edge of the forest, saying that he would return in a few hours' time. She silently watched the air transport fly before turning her eyes to Jaune. He was watching the forest; his eyes staring into its darkness, as if something was pulling him. The shattered moon lighted the surrounding area, painting the crimson leaves of Forever Fall in a light Blake had rarely seen, even during her White Fang days. But somehow, Jaune did not notice any of that, too focused on what he was doing.

Blake turned to Qrow for an answer, and the old man seemed unsurprised at Jaune's situation. In fact, he seemed to have expected it. The older man walked up to Jaune and patted the boy on his shoulder, breaking him out of his trance.

"Huh, what?" Jaune asked, looking around as his grip on Grimmsever tightened, expecting an enemy or some sort.

Qrow looked into the boy's eyes, red meeting blue, before turning his gaze towards the forest. "You feel them, don't you?" Qrow asked.

"Them?" Jaune hesitantly asked.

"The Grimm."

"I-I guess so. Back then, Cinder mentioned that controlling Grimms to a certain extent is one of a vampire's powers, but I'm not much of a vampire anymore," Jaune said.

"Maybe not control, but you can certainly feel them," Qrow replied, taking his sword out of its resting place. He turned to Blake and said, "You best get ready, the both of you. Jaune might be able to sense approaching Grimm, but I'd rather not have too many homing in on us. Keep us safe, Blake."

 _No pressure_ , she thought. Still, she nodded and took point, leading the two males to where everything had changed for her. The darkness did not bother her. It never did. But remembering her company, she pulled out her scroll and lighted up their way. As helpful as they were, her secret was her own.

"So…," Blake began, looking back at her entourage. "Vampires can control Grimm?"

Qrow nodded, "To an extent. Nothing more than exerting pressure over them or scaring them away…"

"But?" she asked, sensing something more.

"I'm guessing Jaune already told you what Cinder is?" Qrow asked, which earned a nod from Blake. "Then you should know that Cinder is special. And not special as in the _mommy loves you_ kind of way. Her blood, her lineage, her abilities. Everything about her puts her above the average vampire by leaps and bounds. Vampires are already at the top of other supernatural aberrations. Cinder in her prime is in a whole other league."

Blake gazed forward, already picturing the bottomless pool of Cinder's abilities. Qrow made it sound like her powers were endless, as if she was more of a force of nature than an individual. Truly, it was a frightening prospect, to have such an unimaginably strong creature living right under their noses.

Jaune huffed, "Thankfully, she cares more for her next batch of cream puffs than taking over the world."

The three were silent for a while as Blake continued to lead them through the forest. Jaune kept himself on his toes as he felt nearby Grimm passing by. Thankfully, they did not approach. Blake kept herself in the lead, her scroll still acting as a flashlight, and Qrow had taken yet another swig from his seemingly bottomless flask. Jaune marched up to her side to avoid the smell of booze affecting him.

"So… You ready for this?" Jaune asked.

"No."

"Uh, well… I guess I should've expected that answer, shouldn't I?" he rubbed his head sheepishly.

"Why didn't you have your aura unlocked?" Blake asked, cutting his ramble.

"Excuse me?"

"Your aura," she repeated. "From what I hear between you two, what happened during spring break was pretty big. If you had aura unlocked by Qrow, you would've been better off."

"I, well…" Jaune scratched his head. "I actually asked Qrow not to do that. At least for now…"

"For now?"

"Yeah," he nodded. "I mean, back then, I was only focused on becoming a human again. I wanted normalcy… Aura would've made that anything but impossible, even as a human. So, unless there's something really extreme, I think I'll hold off on unlocking aura."

Blake looked at him impassively before gesturing towards the forest around them, "Need I remind you that this is anything but normal."

"I guess so…" Jaune chuckled sheepishly. "But my point still stands."

A thought lingered within her mind. She debated on whether she should keep it to herself, but in the end, she decided to voice it out instead. "You know how to handle that sword?" Blake asked, gesturing towards the sword in his hand.

"Grimmsever?" he asked. "I guess so. Cinder knows how to use it, so I should be able to take a bit from her knowledge."

Blinking in confusion, Blake regarded him with a raised eyebrow, "Don't tell me you both have some kind of mental connection going on."

Jaune shrugged helplessly, "I guess we do? It's not much of a connection, to be honest. But she was the one that turned me, so I guess you could say that our aura is somehow connected. She never did explain the details to me."

"Then why not ask her?"

"In case you didn't notice, she's not exactly on talking terms with me," Jaune sighed.

"And why is that?"

"It's private."

Blake sighed, "This again? Fine. Keep it that way."

Jaune only shoved his free hand into the pocket of his hoodie, before looking warily at the forest around him. "Uh, you're not thinking unpleasant thoughts, are you?" he asked Blake.

"To be honest, you're really tempting me."

"Hey, now! What would Beacon say if they find out a civilian died on your watch?" he asked in annoyance.

"Collateral damage," she replied, which caused Jaune to choke on his spit. "Besides, the full-fledged huntsman behind us will be the one to shoulder most of the blame."

"Now that's just cold…"

"You're making me blush," she deadpanned.

* * *

"This is it," Blake said, pocketing her scroll as she looked up at the cliff not far ahead of them. The light was no longer needed, as the cliff they were heading towards was already illuminated by the moon with no large trees in sight to block it. And with the moonlight bathing the area in its light, the three of them could clearly see the wreckage of multiple train carriages at the bottom of said cliff. On the way there, they hadn't been attacked by a lot of Grimm. Only a few small ones that were quickly dispatched by Qrow.

As she laid her sight on the familiar wreckage, however, Blake could not hold back the depressing thoughts from entering her thoughts. And with that, she had pulled the trigger within her mind. With a yelp, she could feel her limbs being pulled downwards by invisible hands. Their grip had seemingly tightened, and Blake was sure that if she were to survive this, her arms and legs would be bruising first thing in the morning.

Jaune nervously looked around as Blake knelt on the ground. They were surrounded. He could feel Grimm of various sizes marching over to their position. "Qrow!" he turned to the older man.

Qrow's red eyes inspected the situation at hand, his sword already held at the ready. Clicking his tongue in annoyance, Qrow pressed a button on his weapon, and said weapon transformed into a deadly looking scythe in a flash. As Qrow rested the bottom end of the weapon on the ground, Jaune felt like he was standing in front of the Grim Reaper himself. The pun did not miss him, but he was too worried to let out a chuckle.

"Jaune!" Qrow called out.

"Yeah?" Jaune answered, Grimmsever in position.

"Take Blake closer to the wreckage! I'll hold off any Grimm that comes close!" Qrow ordered, the Grimm moving closer to their position.

"And then what!?"

"What she needs is closure!" Qrow grunted, dodging a blow from a small Beowolf. Its head was severed with a swing of Qrow's scythe. "She needs to sort out her problems on her own! Bring her there, and protect her!"

"Damn it!" Jaune hissed, cursing his luck at having been entrusted with such a task. Grimmsever in hand, Jaune pulled Blake up to her feet. She wasn't that heavy for Jaune, but with the way her limbs slacked against his form, Jaune knew that she could barely move. Only she could feel the weight, and he could see her face straining as the invisible limbs pulled her down. "Come on, Blake! We're going to the wreckage!"

Blake didn't struggle against his hold, letting him drag her form with him. She hated feeling so weak and helpless. Craning her neck to glance at Jaune, she could see his face as he slowly brought her ever so closer to the reminder of her sins. He was sweating, and any sort of calmness had evaporated from his face. But still, she saw determination in his eyes.

She felt pathetic.

Here she was, a huntress in training, being dragged on by a civilian as he sorted out her problems. Before she realized it, she was standing in front of the wreckage with Jaune holding her form up. She stared ahead, not knowing what to think. When Jaune's touch left her, she had a mind to reach out for it again, but he was already off, clumsily swinging Grimmsever at an approaching Beowolf. His surprisingly superior strength prevailing over his lack of skills.

This was it. She was on her own now. She wanted to ask for help, ask for someone to save her, like Adam did all those years ago when her parents died. But it was all a lie, wasn't it? She had lived a lie fabricated by someone she trusted. This was supposed to be a new starting point for her, a point where she could cover her past sins and move on. But that was a lie too, wasn't it?

The ghostly hands were pulling her down, and she couldn't help but comply with their demands. Sinking to her knees, Blake watched as ghostly apparitions turned visible and sprouted from various point of the train wreckage. Their hands stretched and twisted to reach out to her, to drag her alongside them to the endless depths. She could feel the tortured aura of men, women, and children of both human and faunus alike. In death, they looked no different to her.

As the hands finally reached her, she could hear Jaune gasping behind her. The ghosts were finally visible to him, and Jaune wasted no time in moving his legs. But it was cut short as Qrow harshly pulled the back of Jaune's hoodie to hold him in place.

"No!" the huntsman ordered. "This is her matter to deal with! Focus on keeping the Grimm off her!"

Jaune gritted his teeth as he stopped struggling against the huntsman's hold. Gripping Grimmsever in his hands, Jaune turned his back on the kneeling young woman.

Blake could feel the now-visible hands crawling up her form. They gripped, clawed, and pulled at various parts of her body. One of the hands gripped her skull, before yanking the black bow off her head, revealing her cat ears to the world.

So now her secret was out. She found that she felt no anger towards that fact. Let Qrow and Jaune see her for what she was.

A liar. Both to herself, and to the world. A victim of a lie turned a culprit.

Her life had all been a lie. Was she going to continue this charade? Pretend that everything was fine? Blake closed her eyes, even as the hands crept up even further, already yanking her hair down. They sprouted from her own shadow and moved like they were possessed.

 _No_ , she thought. She wasn't going to lie to herself anymore.

Blake could feel tears gathering at the corners of her eyes. Whether it was from physical pain or her own tormented mind, she did not know. The more she remembered what happened on that fateful day, the ghosts became even more persistent. They continued to pull her down.

And this time, Blake complied.

Her head moved down at a speed she wasn't prepared for, and a loud thud sounded across the clearing. It took her a few moments to recognize that it came from herself. Her forehead had collided against the hard ground. She could feel warm droplets from her forehead. Was it blood? Did her aura not protect her? Or was it hard enough to bypass her own aura?

She didn't know. But she knew enough to recognize the position she was in. She was bowing knee down on the ground, forehead touching the clearing. She finally realized what it was that the ghosts demanded from her. Bowing one's head to the ground was a sign of complete humility. A custom of Mistral, and one she was familiar with, as it was a custom Menagerie also upholds.

They demanded her apology, so that they could move on. Find peace. The exact same thing she was yearning for. Again, she complied, positioning both of her hands beside her head.

"I'm sorry," she said softly, eyes closed with a few droplets of tears dripping onto the ground. "I am sorry for everything…"

Their pull lessened, but Blake did not stop. She needed this. She needed to forgive herself, and be forgiven in return.

"I-I am sorry for what happened that day," she continued. "I g-gave in to my anger. I-I abandoned m-my training, a-and you all p-paid the price." Blake was now sobbing, not caring that tears were messily dripping down her face.

"I-I dragged you all into the fight with my p-partner. If the White Fang hadn't been on that train… No. If I hadn't been c-careless and shot that… that dust canister… Everything would've been fine. You all would have been fine," Blake sobbed. The pull on her body was lessening, but she was numb to their sensation. She didn't care. She needed this. She wanted this. To let out. It had been too long. And so, she continued.

"B-but most of all, I am sorry that… that I couldn't move on. I wasn't ready to move on. And because of that, you are all stuck here," she said, as she remembered Qrow's words. _The ghosts don't want her to forget_. Because to forget, would be to abandon them to their fate, unresolved, festering away on Remnant, haunting it. She finally understood that. It had always been like that, hadn't it? Unresolved problems would always come back to haunt people. That was just how things work.

"But now, my life is turning for the better," Blake said, having calmed down a bit. Her mind went back to what Jaune said, and what was waiting for her back in Beacon. Or rather, _who_. "I have friends now. People that I may be able to call family in the future. I-I think I am ready to try and move on… I cannot erase my sins, nor can I cover them and pretend they don't exist."

"But I can move on from the past, and honor you all by making the most of my future. So please, forgive me," she said, eyes clenched shut. The tears had stopped and her eyes were stinging at how dry they were. "Forgive me," she repeated.

She repeated the word like a chant. She kept on, not realizing as footsteps came closer to where she was bowing down. It took her a full second to register the hand on her shoulder.

"Blake," Jaune said, looking at her still form. "It's done, Blake. The ghosts are gone."

Slowly, she rose up. She breathed in, and then out. Repeating the task, she turned her head to look around her. Qrow was seating under a tree while taking a few deep swigs from his flask. His weapon, now back in its sword form, was lying on his side. There were no Grimm in sight, but there was no denying the sign of battle that surrounded her.

"Here," Jaune offered a plain white handkerchief, holding it in his dirty hand. "It's Qrow's, but don't worry. It's clean. I think."

Blake looked strangely at the offered piece of fabric before remembering that her forehead was bleeding. "Thanks," she said softly, not trusting her own voice. Nonetheless, she took the handkerchief and wiped her forehead. Come the morning, the wound wouldn't even scar, as her aura would have healed it. She was so tired, though. Her eyes widened by a fraction when she caught sight of Jaune's sword arm, however. "Your arm…"

Jaune looked at his right arm, where a Beowolf had bit into it. "Don't worry," Jaune grimaced, but with no trace of worry in his voice. "It's healing nicely. See?"

True to his words, the wound was already closing, letting off a small amount of steam. Blake would've been fascinated by the sight at any other time, but right now, she was so tired. She wanted to sleep the night away, and as if her body had a mind of its own, it shut down, drifting her off towards a dreamless sleep; the kind of sleep she hadn't gotten in months.

* * *

Sunlight peeked through the shutters of the room, and Blake couldn't help but groan. Getting up on her elbows, Blake blinked the sleep away from her as she tried to remember the events of last night. It was a jumbled mess, but she was able to get the gist of it. She sat up on the bed, still beneath the covers. She was only wearing the shirt she had been wearing the night before, as well as the familiar track pants.

She didn't know what to feel. Elated? Sad? Angry at herself? At the world? Lifting her arm, she could easily bring her hand up to her face as she rubbed her eyes, no extra weight hindering her every movement and step. Whatever her mind felt, her body felt refreshed.

"I see you're awake."

She turned her head to see Jaune with his Pumpkin Pete's hoodie, holding two steaming mugs. He entered the room, which she realized must be his. "Did I pass out?" she asked.

"Yeah. I was close enough to hear your confession and apology towards the ghosts. Heavy stuffs like that must've taken a lot out of you. I can't exactly leave you in that forest." Jaune replied, handing her a mug, which was filled with hot chocolate now that Blake could see inside of it. "I had to carry you back here. Your weapon is on the coffee table, if you're wondering."

"Sorry for the trouble," she said as she sipped her chocolate, not entirely comfortable at knowing that Jaune, and possibly Qrow, were privy of her past. Sighing in bliss as she drank the hot beverage, she looked at him. "So it's done?"

"Well, not exactly," Jaune smiled. "You still have to pay Qrow."

Her blissful mood fell in a flash. "Right… How much?"

"A thousand Lien."

It took every inch of her willpower not to choke on the hot beverage. Blake looked up in shock at Jaune from her position on the bed. "What!?" she shrieked.

"Hey. Just be glad he didn't charge you a million Lien," Jaune said, looking to the side.

"Let me guess," she narrowed her eyes. "That's your debt to him?"

Jaune shrugged, "Your debt is just a fraction of mine. The price skyrockets when vampires are involved, or so he says. That said, Qrow entrusted me with a message for you."

"What is it?" she asked.

"He told me that your problem isn't over yet," Jaune said. "There's one last thing you need to do before it's all said and done."

"And what is that?"

"Open up to your team and tell them the truth," he answered, already expecting Blake's slack jawed expression. "And I agree with him."

Tossing the covers off her, Blake stood up, still holding the steaming mug in her hand with half the mind to splash its content against Jaune's face. "Oh, should I just tell them how I, as a member of the White Fang, practically murdered tens to hundreds of people in a tragic explosion!?"

"Nothing that extreme," Jaune assured her. "You can tell them that on your own pace. At the very least, let them know you're a faunus. Trust is a two way street, Blake."

Blake glared to the side, "That's not a good idea, Jaune."

"Is it? And how do you know that?"

"A member of my team isn't particularly… tolerant of faunus," she said, trailing her eyes to the window shutters.

"Then simply change their mind," Jaune said with finality. "I know it's easier said than done, but nothing worth doing ever is."

She was skeptical. There would be a lot of hardships if she were to choose that path. Blake could imagine Ruby and Yang taking her true self in stride, but Weiss? It was no secret that the heiress dislike the faunus on some level, and most of that could be attributed to her family's multiple run-ins with the White Fang, an organization she had been a part in. That extra bit of information just made it so much worse.

"I'll think about it," she finally said.

Jaune sighed, "I guess that's the best I can hope from you."

"Don't hope too much," she scoffed. "You'll be disappointed."

Taking a sip from his own mug, Jaune pointed outside the room. "I've made breakfast for the both of us. You'll be taking the bullhead back to Beacon, right?"

Blake realized that it was a Thursday, and remembered that she had classes first thing in the morning. "What time is it?"

Jaune looked out of the room at the clock above the couch. "It's twenty past eight."

"Oh," Blake deflated.

"I guess you'll be late to a few classes, then?"

She nodded. She looked around the room and noticed that her scroll was on the dresser by the bed. Reaching out to it and turning it on, she was bombarded with multiple notifications about messages and missed calls, with most of them coming from her partner.

Sighing at their worry, she sent a short message to Yang that she was fine, and that she would be returning to Beacon during midday. With that done, she pocketed the scroll into her borrowed track pants and headed out of the room.

Taking a sit on a chair near the kitchen counter, Blake couldn't help but notice Jaune staring at her. Or more accurately, at the spot above her head.

"I hope you don't mind," she narrowed her eyes. Her tone was definitely not genuine at all, and she was half expecting a scathing remark from the blond for her cat ears.

Jaune let out a small chuckle at her stiff expression. "Honestly, you look better without the bow. You should bare yourself more often."

Blake huffed, "You'd like that, wouldn't you?"

"I-I didn't mean it like that!" Jaune stuttered, blushing heavily.

"I bet you also like the fact that I slept on your bed. Are you going to sniff around on the mattress after I'm gone?"

"H-hey! Just so you know, I didn't sniff at your mattress, the hoodie that you wore, or your dirty clothes!" he blurted out.

"…"

"Kill me…"

* * *

Breakfast had been a simple serving of eggs and bacon for the both of them. With their stomach filled, they both sat quietly by the kitchen counter, enjoying the silence after the previous night's fiasco. Blake looked at Jaune as she realised that he was supposed to have a similar routine to hers.

"Shouldn't you be at school right now?" she asked him.

Looking up from his scroll, Jaune shrugged, "I called in sick."

"And they're fine with that?"

"It's not like I'm behind on any lessons," Jaune said. "Besides, Whitley has me covered on any notes I'll be missing."

Nodding silently, Blake stared out the window. A part of her was thinking of last night, and how she vowed to move on. Although a part of her wondered if Adam had survived the explosion. She knew she was being foolish. He had lied to her, led her on a warpath masked as a holy crusade, and triggered the chain of events that would destroy the train that killed tens to hundreds of people.

If he did survive, where was he now? Was he still submerged in his hatred for humanity? Did her betrayal made it worse? So many lines of thoughts swimming in her head. So many to choose from. But she swore to move on, didn't she? Dwelling in the past wouldn't help her any more than it did before.

"Hey, Blake," Jaune called out.

The faunus blinked, having been broken out of her musings. "What is it?"

Jaune leaned on his left hand, his knuckles propping his chin. Blake waited for a response from the young man, who was seemingly deep in thought. "About your past…" he started.

She was dreading this. Although she had to admit that she owed him some explanation. He had risked his life for her, even going so far as providing her with a place to spend the night. It would only be right if she expla –

"I'm not going to pry into it," Jaune said.

Surprised at the statement, Blake could only stare bewilderedly at Jaune. Seeing her expression, he continued, "Your past is your own, Blake. It's not my place to ask about it. Only you could disclose that information. It's your choice and no one else's. Similar as to how my memories of last spring break are private, so are your past memories."

Blake let out a sigh and nodded, "I get it."

"Besides," Jaune smiled. "The Blake I met isn't a member of the White Fang. The Blake I met is a huntress in training who stumbled into the book shop where I work."

Even though it was only yesterday, she couldn't help but let out a small, barely noticeable smile at the memory. It felt almost unbelievable that all that had happened in a single night, but here she was, having a late breakfast in a boy's place, borrowing his clothes, going into late night excursions into a Grimm-infested forest, and not to mention racking up quite the debt after it was all over. The pain of her memories was still there, but it would dull in time, no doubt. All wounds do. It would be overshadowed by new, happier memories.

"Jaune," she called him. Jaune let out a hum as a sign of reply. "Can I borrow your scroll for a moment?"

He was confused as to what her intentions were, but he complied, nonetheless. Giving his scroll, he watched as Blake typed on the screen a few times. With a small satisfied smile, she handed his scroll back to him.

As he glanced at the screen, he raised his eyebrows in surprise. "Is this…?"

"You work at Tukson's right?" she asked. "Call my number when you have new arrivals."

Jaune chuckled, "I don't know if we'll have your _usual books_."

"I'll have a friend there help me look. Maybe he'll come to appreciate some art," she huffed, a little peeved at him knowing her preferences. He laughed at her reply, which prompted her to let out a soft chuckle.

Her past was a painful one. Last night had been a painful, but much needed detour. Sure, she racked up a debt, missed some classes, and probably made her team worry to death. But after all that, she gained a friend, a small sign of her first step towards the future.

A new start was impossible. It always has been. If her life was a book, then she would've felt awful for reading it halfway finished. After all, she was nowhere close to the ending.

* * *

 **That's the end for the first arc. So we have established Jaune as Blake's new friend. What, do you really think they'll immediately get together? Please, no… She's grateful for him, and she feels she owes him, and it's a start of a friendship that will slowly grow into something more. She's not going to move in lightning fast and snatch him off his feet. Blake is not that kind of person, from what we've seen in the show, that is.**

 **Also, I think I've established that while this is still Remnant, there is still going to be some major changes to its lore; changes that I will incorporate as seamless as I can. Also, if you're wondering, it won't strictly be female characters that will get involved with Jaune. I have a few share of surprises for you guys and girls in the future.**

 **Oh, and for those wondering if I'm going to tell what happened during spring break, rest assured. I will tell them in due time. There are so many characters and plot points that I need to lay down before delving into** _ **Jaune Vamp**_ **(yes, that's the name of the arc).**

 **So, what do you think of the story so far? Follow, favorite, and review! I want to hear your thoughts. If you have any questions, do so in the review, or simply PM me.**

* * *

 **TEASER FOR THE NEXT ARC:** _ **Yang Past, Part 1**_

"You seem to have something troubling your mind, my Master…"

"Whitley… Stop calling me that…"


	4. Chapter 4: Yang Past, Part 1

**The Intersection(s) at Vale**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY or any of its characters. I'm just playing around with Rooster Teeth's property.**

 **A/N: I made a small, but very significant change in the first and third chapters. I advise you all to read them again, since the information I added will be very important down the line. Although I wonder if anyone would be able to spot it easily, haha. Best of luck. A small hint, though. It has something to do with Jaune's family.**

* * *

 **in·ter·sec·tion**

 **in(t)ərˈsekSH(ə)n**

 ** _noun_**

 _a point or line common to lines or surfaces that intersect._

 ** _"the intersection of a plane and a cone"_**

 _a point at which two or more things intersect, especially roads._

 ** _"red and green lights at the nearby intersection"_**

 _an action of intersecting._

 ** _"his course is on a direct intersection with ours"_**

* * *

 _Yang Past, Part 1_

Sitting on her bed, Blake hopelessly tried to ignore the drilling stares of her teammates. They were still wearing their uniform, as they had only got out of class. Herself, on the other hand… she was wearing Jaune's track pants, which she had to roll up a few times due to his height, and not to mention she was also wearing his sisters' shirt and hoodie. Her own clothes were stuffed into a plastic bag she had put in the corner of the room. She would wash them later, after escaping the clutches of her teammates.

Jaune said that she should just keep the clothes for now. He said that his sisters won't be missing their clothes, and he barely used his track pants anyway.

She had foolishly forgotten that she was teammates and partner with Yang Xiao Long. "So… Blake," the blonde brawler started.

"Yes?" Blake said _innocently_. It didn't sound much different than a bored tone, however.

"Mind telling us where you were last night?" Yang asked. "Out of nowhere, you just texted us saying that you'll be staying the night in Vale. And not only do you come back to Beacon pretty late in midday, but you're using someone else's clothes."

Weiss scoffed from the side, "Really, Yang? I admit I'm curious, but I don't need details like that."

"Details?" Ruby asked. "What details?"

"Hush, Rubes," Yang said, planting a hand on Ruby's face to silence her. "The adults are talking here."

"I'm a grown up! I drink milk!"

Yes… This was her team at Beacon. Team RWBY. She held back a sigh, wanting nothing more than to delve back into her book. She really wanted to know what Taro was going to do to Haneko with a toothbrush. She was almost fidgeting in anticipation.

Almost.

"It's really not my place to tell," Blake said, gaining the attention of the three of them.

"Oh, woe is me!" Yang exclaimed with flair. "My own partner keeping things from me!"

"Although," she started. "I do have something else to tell you all…"

"What is it, Blake?" Ruby asked.

This was it, her moment of truth. They were her teammates. If anyone deserves the chance, it was them. She hated leap of faiths. There was so much uncertainty while you leave everything to fate. But this was one she needed to take. Jaune said that trust is a two way street. They weren't going to start trusting her if she didn't start herself.

And so, she reached up to the bow above her head, and pulled it off.

* * *

Fridays… Jaune loved Fridays… It was, after all, the last day of the week before weekend. And although he had work on Saturday afternoon, he liked spending time in the shop, regardless of the fact that it was work.

Walking his bike on the sidewalk, Jaune looked to his side at Whitley, who was typing something on his scroll. It wasn't an unfamiliar sight. Whitley always seemed to have something on his hand, whether it was studying, his part time job, or helping him. At least, that's what people on the outside see. Whitley would only let himself go in front of close friends. And those friends are… well, just him, really.

Whitley Schnee, as he was named. The fifteen year old stood tall at 5'8", effectively making him pretty tall for his age, which left him just short a couple of inches from Jaune's height. Not that it mattered much, since Whitley attended classes with people two years older than him. With his height and broad shoulders, many would mistake him for a seventeen year old.

His white hair framed his sharp and pale face with a few cowlicks on its ends. Stray bangs covered a portion of left face, which sometimes covered his left eye. But Whitley would always brush it aside with a motion of his hand. Most noticeable, however, was the stray cowlick on the top of his head, which had existed since Jaune had first known him. Jaune didn't know if it was just him, but he always felt like that stray cowlick had a life of its own, considering the way it moves.

He was a far cry from the tall, but lanky boy Jaune had met during first year of high school. Not only in appearance, but also personality. Gone was the immaculately tidy and rigid boy. And gone was the cold personality and arrogant huff in each of his strides. Two years in Vale had changed Whitley. Humbled him.

Where Whitley used to wear blue colored formal vests and neatly tucked white shirts, he now wore clothes that were less rigid, but still tidy, albeit, in a more casual way. His favorite being dark colored blazers with light colored undershirts. Sometimes he went with dark jeans or dark trousers. One thing didn't change, however. His dress shoes.

 _The dress shoes stay_ , as Whitley would say.

"You seem to have something troubling your mind, My Master…" Whitley said with a small smile, putting away his scroll.

Jaune groaned, "Whitley… Stop calling me that."

The Schnee heir laughed, "Is that not how we are connected, though? Cinder should call you that as well, right?"

"I really don't want to be anyone's master," Jaune sighed. What Whitley said, however, was true. During an incident not long after Jaune's fiasco with Cinder, a chain of events occurred that forced Jaune to turn Whitley into a vampire in order to save his life. Thankfully, Whitley does not need regular portions of blood in order to survive like Cinder. Qrow said something about Whitley having been a human longer than he was a vampire.

And so, through a quite roundabout solution, Whitley's vampire powers have been mostly locked away like Jaune himself. Mostly. It resulted in Whitley's growth spurt and more muscular figure, since a vampire's regeneration factor always keeps the body in top condition. Even this, he had taken in stride. Stella's death being the only time Jaune had ever seen the boy break down.

Jaune wondered what the world would say if story about their misadventures got out. What would the news say?

 ** _News Flash! Schnee Heir Turned Vampire!_**

Yeah… Not so great…

"I'm serious, though," Whitley said. "You seem to have something on your mind. Care to share?"

Jaune looked to the side, contemplating his words. "I've told you about the ghost problem I had a few days ago, right?"

"The huntress in training?"

"Yeah," Jaune nodded.

"What of her?" Whitley asked.

"Well," Jaune scratched the back of his head. "She left some books that she bought earlier before. It's still in my apartment."

Rolling his eyes, Whitley replied, "Only you could think seriously about something so mundane."

"Hey, help me out here!"

"You have her number, right?" Whitley crossed his arms. "Just call her."

"But what if she wants me to deliver the books!?" Jaune asked. "I'll have to go to Beacon!"

Whitley was silent for a moment, before his shoulders shook and he let out a laugh. "Oh, I get it. You're afraid of going to Beacon."

"And what of it?" Jaune huffed.

"Jaune…" Whitley looked unimpressed, which was a look Jaune had been all too familiar with. "You've survived fighting full-fledged huntsmen, fought an ancient vampire, barely bats an eye at the mention of ghosts, and lived through them all to tell the tale."

Now that Jaune thought about it, he had quite the resume under his belt…

"And you tell me you're afraid of going to a school?" Whitley asked.

"A school for huntsmen!"

"A school nonetheless," Whitley shrugged. "It's going to be filled with boys and girls who have too much hormones than they know what to do with. Sounds familiar?"

"To what?"

"Our own school," Whitley deadpanned. "Besides, you could just give her the books when she visits Tukson's again. I bet you just want to do it this way so you'd get to visit Beacon. And despite it being your wish, you're getting cold feet."

"Even if I say it's not what I wish for, would you believe me?"

"No."

Jaune figured as much. Even before his change of demeanor, Whitley had always been a sharp individual. Although the bluntness was something new, admittedly. Back then, he was more reserved and… calculating. Now, though. It was as if Whitley had simply grown tired of doing so.

"I really want to see what Beacon looks like," Jaune sighed.

"Then just go there. It's not like the school forbids visitors."

"You make it sound so easy," Jaune said.

"I've been to the CCT tower a few times to talk with my older sister. It's not rocket science, Jaune," Whitley answered. Jaune didn't need any clarification as to which sister he was talking about. Whitley had always been rather tight-lipped about his family and his childhood at Atlas, but he would still disclose some things when asked. Within reason, of course.

Jaune knew that Whitley was talking about the eldest; the _Atlesian Specialist_ Winter Schnee. While the male Schnee didn't gush over his oldest sister or worship the very ground she walked on, there was always a tone of respect whenever he spoke of her.

The same couldn't be said about the middle sibling. Jaune didn't know what it was that made Whitley narrow his eyes at every mention of Weiss Schnee, and he didn't dare pry, knowing that it was ultimately none of his business. Besides, whatever was between the two siblings never seemed to affect Whitley's well-being or his daily life. If it does reach that point, however, then Jaune won't hesitate to help.

"Then how about you accompany me to Beacon tomorrow?" Jaune suggested.

Whitley's gaze darkened for a split second. Jaune would've missed it if he hadn't been facing Whitley at that very moment. "I think I'll pass," Whitley said coldly. However, his tone reverted back to his usual calm and suave demeanor. "I wouldn't want to intrude on you two."

"Whitley!" Jaune huffed. "I barely know her. She's just a friend."

Despite the teasing, Jaune was relieved at the sight of the small smile Whitley had on his face. Jaune didn't know what Whitley's problem with Beacon was, but now was not the time. He had somewhere to be. And Whitley's always near should Jaune need his help, or vice versa.

"Speaking of friends," Whitley spoke up, looking at the front basket of Jaune's bicycle. "I take it you visited your little vampire for some light feeding this morning?"

"What gave it away?" Jaune asked.

"Well, the cream puffs, for one," Whitley pointed at the box of cream puffs sitting innocently in the bicycle's basket.

Whitley then continued, "You usually have a few boxes bought beforehand, usually by a day, in your fridge. But you only just bought them after school with me. This meant that you didn't bring her any during her latest feeding session. You must've been in a hurry, which meant that you fed her this morning before school, as Tukson doesn't really care if you're a little late to work."

Honestly, Jaune was having a little trouble following Whitley's words, but none of the younger boy's words, at least the ones he did not miss, were mistaken. Still, Whitley continued on his analysis. "You also chose not to wear anything under that hoodie of yours today, and you would only ever avoid wearing clothes after a feeding session. The girls at school were staring, you know. And not at the bunny on it."

Well, it wasn't his fault that the act of having your blood sucked was an unpleasant experience. It always felt like his skin was burning off, especially with clothes on. Come feeding time, he would always go topless. It was a small comfort that lessened the pain by a small margin.

"You know it's not something I actually enjoy…"

"Really? Boys usually like it when girls stare at them…"

Jaune huffed, "Not what I meant."

"Still, it's a shame," Whitley tilted his head. "I mean, I've only had my blood drank twice or so, but it's always a pleasant tingling sensation for me."

And what was worse, was that he was the only one feeling that. For Whitley, and probably Cinder, it was always a mere tingling sensation, if not, a sense of lightheadedness when their blood was sucked. The only one in pain was him.

Admittedly, it annoyed him. Qrow assured him that he wasn't in any danger though, despite the pain. However, he would've been assured if the stinging sensation didn't stay for hours after feeding time, which prompted him to go to school with just a hoodie covering his torso. He was glad that his school didn't have a set uniform to wear. Multiple layers of clothing would've been a torture for him.

Unfortunately, the process was necessary for her to survive. Having been a vampire for most of her immortal life, Cinder's body had evolved to the point where she could no longer take nutrition from human foods.

The only thing that would sate her body was _blood_ and _raw human flesh_.

When he thought about it, regularly offering his own blood was a small price to pay to stop her from going on a manhunt, even with the added stinging pain. Well, not that she would be able to. At her current state, even a first year in a combat school would be able to take her down. The more blood she consumed from him, the more she regained her original strength, and the longer she sucked blood from him, the more strength he regains as a vampire. Something Qrow said about their aura being connected. If she regains her vampirism, then so would he.

This was why he always limits her intake of blood. He didn't want her to regain her full powers, and he also didn't want to return to being a full vampire. Being burnt alive under the sun once was enough for him.

So why not let her die? Starve her to death. Powerless as she was, she could not go on a manhunt. The cream puffs he brings her were no more than for her pleasure, as she took no nutrition from them. So why?

Because Jaune Arc was ultimately a selfish person, that was why.

Even if she begged for death, he would not give it to her. He would not allow her to die. And as the one holding her reins, he was effectively her master. If she were to die, then he would return to a human, as the aura bond between them would sever. But he wanted to save everyone.

A foolish endeavor. Stupidly naïve, as Qrow had called it. It was stupid. Jaune knew that. You can't save everyone. Things like that only happen in stories. Actually, no. Jaune was even worse than that.

He even wanted to _save the villain_. It was no wonder Cinder wasn't in talking terms with him.

Letting out a sigh, Jaune pulled out his scroll. It was close to four in the afternoon. It wasn't that late. He might be able to get some eggs that were on sale in the grocery store after dropping the box of cream puffs at Qrow's place. Today was the last day of the sale, after all.

The two boys separated when they arrived at an intersection. The way back to their respective homes was actually on the same direction, but Jaune wasn't going home just yet.

* * *

Jaune was surprised to find Qrow's apartment door locked. His expectations of the huntsman must be at an all-time low if he didn't even trust the grizzled man to lock his door. Pulling out a spare key Qrow had given him from his pocket, Jaune unlocked the door and peeked inside.

Surprisingly, the place looked clean. Well, as clean as it could be. It was as if Qrow had tidied up the place. The smell of alcohol still lingered, but there were no empty bottles in sight. A major improvement, if he'd say so himself. The lack of Qrow's presence in the apartment unsettled him, though.

Putting the box of cream puffs on the coffee table, Jaune walked up to Cinder's door. He knocked on it a few times before he was greeted by familiar raven hair and amber eyes peeking through the door.

"Hey, Cinder," he greeted. "Do you know where Qrow is?"

Cinder looked inside for a brief second before pulling a small envelope from within her small hoodie. A letter? Qrow could've just sent him a scroll message. Kneeling down on her level, Jaune took the envelope from her small hands. He inspected the piece of paper for a moment before tearing it open and reading the content inside.

 _Hey, kid. In case you hadn't noticed, my vacation is over for now. I've been helping you since we met during spring break, but I think it's pretty obvious that lounging around helping a high school student with his supernatural problems doesn't exactly fall within my list of responsibilities. I'm a huntsman, after all._

 _My "superior", if you can call him that, asked my involvement for a mission. I don't know how long it'll take, and I don't even know if we'll see each other again. But if that's the case, then I bid you farewell. At the end of this letter I wrote my bank account number, just in case you cashed up the necessary one million Lien. I'm a man of my words, after all._

 _Take care of your little slave. I think she has been itching to see me leave. She thinks I didn't notice the happy little dance she did when I said I'd be leaving her. Fat chance. You're not exactly the best decision maker, but I trust her in your hands._

 _I almost forgot. There's a book under the coffee table, which might help you should aberrations appear. Remember what I said. Vampires attract those kinds of stuffs. And you have one as a servant, with you yourself being part vampire._

Seeing nothing more than the account number Qrow had indeed written at the bottom of the paper, Jaune pocketed the message. It took him a moment before he realized that while he was reading, Cinder had walked past him and was now sitting on the couch by the coffee table, munching and nibbling on a cream puff.

Their eyes locked for a moment before Cinder pried hers away to stare out the window. Sighing tiredly, Jaune followed Qrow's instructions and checked under the coffee table. Sure enough, he found a small book. Opening its pages, he noticed that it was worn, and the paper felt old in his hands. Its content didn't surprise him, however.

Various kinds of supernatural aberrations were listed here, from the lowest ghosts to the mighty vampire. The handwritings and notes scrawled on the side were different every few pages, indicating that it had changed ownership more than a few times. There was also an odd-looking bookmark nestled between the pages. His eyes lingered for a moment on a few certain pages, as it listed a few aberrations that were listed under the same tier as vampires. He quickly closed it, deciding to read it on another day.

Pocketing the small book in his hoodie, Jaune sat next to Cinder. None of them said anything for a while. She took another cream puff from the box and began eating it. Jaune eyed the box for a moment before shrugging and taking a piece for himself. Just as he was about to take a bite, a hand grabbed his wrist, holding it in place.

Cinder was holding tightly to his wrist, her face twisting into something of a mixture between a pout and a glare. Honestly, Jaune could've just yanked his arm off Cinder's. Although he wouldn't put it past Cinder to claw at his face in retaliation.

"Oh, so now you acknowledge me?" Jaune huffed.

She did not speak, merely glaring at him. Taking in her form, Jaune noted that her shoulder length black hair had been shortened to the length of her neck. He wondered what triggered her to shapeshift herself, even if it was only a minor change.

The ancient vampire in eight year old form did not let go of his arm even as he stood up to his full height, cream puff still held in his hand. She even pulled herself up and latched her legs around his bicep. Talk about persistence…

Hanging from his arm like some wayward sloth, she still continued to glare at him. Jaune had half the mind to swing his arm in reckless abandon just to see if Cinder would still hang on to it. The more rational part of his mind convinced him to simply talk to her.

"So I guess we're living together from now on…"

She didn't deny it, and her glare softened as she looked to the side. She was still hanging onto his arm, though. And admittedly, Jaune was not as strong as he used to be. "If we're going to live together, then we need to clear up things between us. I'm supposed to be your master, aren't I?"

He didn't really like pulling the master-servant card on her, but he guessed she won't be listening to anything else for a while now. Letting go of his arm, she stood on her feet and nodded meekly at his question. Jaune crouched down to her level and looked into her eyes. "So that means we're going to have to share. You get that? S-H-A-R-I-N-G."

He probably should've expected the two finger assault on his eyeballs. Clutching his eyes and making sure they didn't bleed, he sent a small glare to Cinder, which she answered with one of her own. Her gaze said it all.

 _Do not treat me like a child_

 _Then stop acting like one,_ Jaune thought. Sitting back on the couch, Jaune took a bite from the cream puff he had been holding. He glanced at Cinder to gauge her reaction, to which she responded with an icy stare, but no other outward reaction.

Well, this was probably as far as they could get for now. "Still, we'll have to think of your living arrangements," Jaune said. "My apartment is pretty small, and so is my bed. But I think we'll be able to get to a compromise if we move some things around."

Still staring at him, Cinder said nothing. Wordlessly, she walked up to him. Jaune raised an eyebrow as she stopped at his side. They held their gaze for a few seconds before Cinder started to sink into the ground. Looking down in surprise, Jaune had only just realized that she was standing within his shadow, and that she had chosen his shadow as her abode. As her full form sank down into it, Jaune let out a sigh, not knowing whether he should be honored that she chose his shadow as her new home, or galled by the fact that she would rather live in his shadow than his actual apartment.

"Or you could do that…"

Alone in the dusty apartment, Jaune contemplated on his next step. Vampires attract supernatural aberrations, which meant he should take his next step carefully. He wouldn't want any dangerous ones lurking around at school.

He peered into the box of cream puffs and saw that there were still a couple of pieces left. Closing the box and lifting it up, he took one last look at the apartment. A mere footnote in his life story, and one that he would probably never visit again. Qrow already made it clear early on that this was a temporary abode. Where was his real home? Jaune did not know, and he never thought to ask.

Speaking of life stories, his mind went back to Blake and how she poured out parts of her past to the world like that back in Emerald Forest. It took guts, which was something he ashamedly admitted to not have in spades. He did tell her to be open to her teammates. Would he be able to stop being a hypocrite and tell her his story?

 _One day_ , he thought. He was avoiding it still.

 _It wasn't his place to tell_

Excuses. Mere excuses. A part of him knew that Cinder wouldn't care if anyone else heard their story. Another part of him was jealous of Blake; jealous of how strong she was. Not just for being strong enough to attend Beacon through natural talent and training, but also to confront her past like that. Rubbing his pocket for his scroll, he was reminded of how he hadn't talked to his parents for two years, and how he always relayed any message through his sisters.

 _One day_ , he reminded himself. Today, however, was not that day. He had a sale to catch at the grocery store.

Yet another excuse in his long list of excuses.

* * *

He was standing in front of Beacon Academy now – or least the dorm area of Beacon. After preparing his heart and calling the faculty the day before, he was granted access to the student's dorm. Usually civilians were only allowed access to the CCT Tower, as it was a public place. Students of Beacon were allowed free access, however, unlike civilians, who had to pay for entry.

Plastic bag in hand, Blake's books felt heavy in it. He patted his hoodie's left pocket, finding comfort in the small book Qrow had given him. He had read the book in parts, not really caring of reading it in order. He had all the time in the world, after all.

Well, not today, actually. Today was a Saturday, which meant that the student body was enjoying a well-deserved break from school activities. It also meant he had part-time work in the afternoon. He had entertained the thought of asking Whitley to deliver the books, but considering his attitude towards Beacon the day before and his part-time job on Saturdays as well, Jaune doubt Whitley would accept his request, even with how close they were as friends.

Oh, well. He had already accepted the nametag a staff had given him on the Bullhead landing pad, which served to differentiate him from the rest of the student body. Now, if only his foot wasn't frozen on the doorstep of Beacon's dorm. Several students stared at him, clearly not recognizing the nervous blond in front of them.

"Come on, Jaune!" he muttered to himself. "You can do this! You're not alone! Cinder's at your side!"

Of course, the child vampire did not grace him with any sort of response. His shadow was still, not a ripple in sight. He also doubted that she'd support him in any sort of way on this matter. Still, the idea that someone was by his side calmed him down a bit. Just a bit.

Oh, who was he kidding…

Before he could take a step further, however, the door to the dorm opened with loud bang, and four girls of distinct colors stepped out into the sun's light.

However, Jaune's eyes were plastered on the girl with the red hoodie, or more specifically, her eyes. Having read the book Qrow had given him, he had read some entries regarding supernatural aberrations, and he had started from the top tier. Only three supernatural aberrant were listed under the highest tier.

Vampires.

The Four Maidens.

And Silver Eyed Warriors.

And the girl in front of him had silver eyes…

Not to mention she was so damn cute… Being as cute as she was should be a crime. Was he in love? No. Absolutely not. This wasn't even his hormones talking to him. This was his heart! And matters of the heart should always be a top priority! He wasn't looking at her like a piece of meat, or even a potential lover, but more like a cute dog or cat that deserves to be petted and spoiled. Oh, how he wanted to pet that soft red hair of hers… Would she squirm, or would she purr?

Jaune, however, was smart enough to realize that he was in a public place. And so, with great effort, he tore his attention away from her.

 _RESTRAINT!_

 _RESTRAINT!_

 _HAVE RESTRAINT, JAUNE "MOTHERLOVING" ARC!_

"Jaune?"

He turned his head up to see Blake looking at him alongside three other girls, including the silver eyed girl. So this was Blake's teammates? They certainly seemed… colorful, as he took in their clashing color palette. However, the blonde one seemed to be narrowing his eyes at him, no doubt having noticed him staring at the red head. Who was she? Family? Lover? Either way, both options did not look good for him.

"What are you doing here?" Blake asked.

Oh, she was asking him a question? All right! First impressions, Jaune! Impress those three girls. All he needed was confidence, right? Just say something smart and suave. Channeling his inner Whitley, Jaune answered Blake's question in a manner that was totally not nervous at all.

"Fweh."

"..."

* * *

 **I really love making Jaune's "Fweh" into a running joke…**

 **Anyway, this chapter merely serves as the introduction to Yang's story arc. I know what you're thinking. Why is it titled "Yang Past" when Yang is barely featured in it? Well, let me tell you, Cinder being at Jaune's side 24/7 now is a crucial plot point, as she will be quite important during this story arc involving Yang.**

 **The chapter's a little short, but I don't think I could add anything more and not break the flow of the chapter. That being said, as it was with the last three chapters, the next chapters, which will be the meat of the story, and later the climax, will be longer than this one.**

 **Also, I've written some drafts on a few future story arcs. And I've decided that I will be including three special flashback story arcs later in the fic titled** ** _Jaune Vamp,_** ** _Whitley Drachen_** **, and** ** _Cinder Fiasco._** **They won't necessarily be written in that order.**

 **Will we see Qrow again? Yes. Yes, we will.**

 **Anyway, tell me what you think of the new chapter. What do you think of my portrayal of Cinder and Whitley? Are they not what you expected, or is it as you expected them to be? Might as well tell me what you think of the edits I made in chapter 1 and 3 while you're at it. They're not that hard to find. Just subtle. I love reading theories.**

* * *

 **TEASER FOR THE NEXT CHAPTER: _Yang Past, Part 2_**

"Look, I have a weakness for cute girls. I'm not even sexually attracted. It's like looking at a cute puppy and wanting to cuddle with them!"

"Say no more, Jaune. I see that you too, are a man of culture."

"But Yang... You're a girl."

"Bah! Semantics!"


	5. Chapter 5: Yang Past, Part 2

**The Intersection(s) at Vale**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY or any of its characters. I'm just playing around with Rooster Teeth's property.**

 **A/N: Wow… Over 8k views after only 4 chapters? This is easily my most successful story to date. Keep up the support, guys!**

* * *

 **in·ter·sec·tion**

 **in(t)ərˈsekSH(ə)n**

 _ **noun**_

 _a point or line common to lines or surfaces that intersect._

 _ **"the intersection of a plane and a cone"**_

 _a point at which two or more things intersect, especially roads._

 _ **"red and green lights at the nearby intersection"**_

 _an action of intersecting._

 _ **"his course is on a direct intersection with ours"**_

* * *

 _Yang Past, Part 2_

Whitley loosened his tie as he stood near a corner of the kitchen, fully intending on enjoying his thirty minutes break. He had already eaten his wrapped sandwich that he had prepared in the morning, and was now left with mostly nothing to do. His part time job as a café waiter wasn't a job most people would expect a Schnee to have, but it was a fine and respectable job, nonetheless. Looking at the time on his scroll, Whitley noted that Jaune should be at Beacon right about now. Well, no matter. He wished the boy luck.

As he pocketed his scroll, a waitress bumped onto his shoulder, spilling the drink she was carrying down to the floor along with several glasses. They shattered upon contact with the floor, and the waitress let out a small gasp of apology at bumping into him, before promptly crouching down to clean the mess.

"Sorry, Whitley! I wasn't looking where I was going."

Looking at her, Whitley realized that she was one of the newer part-timers. She was probably still in high school or college, give or take. Getting down to her level, he began to help her.

"Don't worry about it… Starr, was it?" he asked, just in case he got her name wrong.

"Um, yes!" she answered with a small blush that Whitley certainly did not miss. They were silent as they dutifully cleaned the mess. Starr looked extremely nervous, while Whitley looked almost absentminded as he performed the task. Of course, his absentmindedness didn't end well for him.

"Ah! Your finger!" Starr exclaimed. Lifting his right hand, he noticed a sizable shard of glass was lodged in his index finger. It seemed it had stabbed his finger as he was cleaning Starr's mess.

"Oh, it's fine," Whitley assured her. "Can you clean up by yourself? I'm going to wash this."

"Ah, but… I can help."

"It's fine."

With a nod from the girl, Whitley walked away to the nearest sink, before pulling out the shard of glass and watching his wound mend itself.

The perks of being a quasi-vampire. Of course, to keep up the charade, he did indeed wash his hands and covered his right index finger with a small band-aid the kitchen has for the occasional accidents. Looking back at where he had left Starr, he was partly relieved that she had left, most likely returning to her duties. He was going to take a small break, after all. Entertaining a blushing girl wasn't his idea of a good time, unless he initiates the contact. Call him self-absorbed, but it hadn't hurt anyone.

Leaning against the wall, Whitley let out a long sigh, knowing that the girl had only called him "Whitley" because he had specifically asked his boss to not include his family's name on his name tag, as well as the employee list. People's attitude changed towards him whenever they realized whose son he was.

Except for Jaune.

That buffoon hadn't even known who the Schnees were before Whitley himself explained it to him. And even after explaining who they were to him, Jaune just smiled and said:

 _"The Whitley I met wasn't the son of a multi-billionaire. The Whitley I met was a young boy who pushes people away because he doesn't know what to do."_

Well, speak for himself. Jaune's only friends were a Schnee, an ancient vampire, and an alcoholic huntsman. Well, he should probably add a huntress in training to the list now.

 _What a hypocrite_ , Whitley smiled. He was about to go through the back door to get some fresh air when something caught his eye. It was sitting innocently by the shelf on the wall, and Whitley stared at it as he contemplated his options.

What was it he was staring at?

A box of cigarettes.

Someone must have left it there and recently too, as he doubted the other workers would hesitate on taking the rest of its contents. Finders keepers, after all. In fact, it was the same brand Whitley used to buy.

Now, the big question. Why was a fifteen year old smoking? An expression of rebellion against an oppressive father? Out of spite for one of his elder sisters? Stress? To be honest, Whitley couldn't remember very well. All he knew was that he was frustrated, and most things were a haze back then. It didn't help that the convenience store near his apartment was very loose with rules and regulations.

Before he could think about it some more, his scroll rang, and he was genuinely surprised to see that it was Winter. Stepping out through the backdoor into the back alley, he looked around to ensure that he was alone. Seeing no one, he answered the video call.

Winter's face sprang up on the screen, and Whitley couldn't help but muster a small smile. "Hello, sister."

"Hello, brother," Winter greeted back. Her face was mostly impassive, but Whitley could see the quirks of a small smile on the edge of her lips. "I see that you're at work."

"I'm taking a short break, Winter. I do have time to spare, though."

"That's good," Winter nodded. "How have you been?"

Winter Schnee wasn't usually the type of person to engage in small talk. Time was precious in the military, and there was little time for such talks. But she lived by the principle that she would always try to spare some time for her siblings if she could.

"I've been fine. Jaune has been keeping my condition in check."

"Good. It wouldn't do for my brother to end up as ashes the next time I visit."

Would you look at that. Winter Schnee cracking a joke. Whitley was sure he had just witnessed one of the greatest myths of Remnant.

"Speaking of Jaune, he said Qrow left the city last night. Do you know anything about that?"

She raised an eyebrow. "I do not. And I could care less about what that drunkard does. Frankly, I am glad that he is off your case."

"He entrusted Cinder to Jaune, though."

"If what he said regarding their servant-master connection is true, then we have little to worry about save for Jaune dying for whatever reason," Winter said. While she wasn't privy to the events of spring break, she had been there during Whitley's run-in with the White Fang. It had taken quite a bit of effort and time for Jaune and Qrow to explain what happened to her.

Whitley also remembered Qrow pulling Winter aside after the incident. And now she was regularly checking up on him, no doubt having been inducted into whatever group Qrow was in as well.

"Whitley," she started again. He hummed an answer, waiting for her to continue. "You haven't been smoking again, have you?"

"No, Winter," he answered honestly. "The thought hadn't crossed my mind." Well that one was definitely a lie.

Still, Winter sighed. "It's not a matter of your health, Whitley, as I know your body heals all damages."

"I know. It's a crutch."

"And you can't turn to it all the time, lest it becomes an addiction. Having a crutch to hold you up is unhealthy, both to the mind and body." She was obviously pointing at a certain drunken huntsman they both knew personally. "Moving away from that, have you called Weiss?"

"I haven't."

He could see Winter holding back a sigh. "Has she reached out to you?"

"No."

"You know that you can't keep on like this, right?"

"And why not?" Whitley nearly hissed.

"I trust both of my siblings to resolve their differences on their own, but I would prefer it to be sooner rather than later."

"Does she even know that I'm in Vale?" Whitley asked.

"She's aware of it, but she doesn't know where you actually are," Winter answered, shoulders straight. Winter Schnee does not shrug. "But sometimes, you have to take the first step."

"The first step is what I've always taken, Winter," he shook his head. "I'm tired of it."

"Maybe so," she answered. "But do keep the option in mind."

Whitley sighed, clearly tired of the discussion. "Fine."

"That's all I ask," Winter said, flashing one of her rare full smiles. "Now, I must be going. Duty calls."

With a final nod from her, she turned off the connection, and Whitley stood by himself in the back alley of the café he worked at. Looking at his scroll, he still had ten minutes to burn through. He wondered on what to do. He had half the mind to take a stick out of that pack and light it, but thought better of it. Clicking on the browser icon on his scroll, he scrolled through the news, intending to keep Weiss off his mind.

* * *

"Look, I have a weakness for cute girls. I'm not even sexually attracted. It's like looking at a cute puppy and wanting to cuddle with them!"

Yang held a hand to silence him with a small smile on her face. "Say no more, Jaune. I see that you too, are a man of culture."

"But Yang… You're a girl."

"Bah! Semantics!"

Weiss glared at them from the side, clearly showing her distaste of the conversation. "Wouldn't what you two are doing still count as sexual harassment?"

"You don't understand, Weiss!" Yang gestured with her arms flailing. "It's more innocent than that!"

"The police won't care, Yang," Weiss sighed.

"And this is why you are not a man of culture!"

Weiss huffed indignantly. "First off, I'm not a man. Secondly, I do not want to be a part of whatever backward culture you're referring to!"

"Could've fooled me with that washboard you call a chest."

"They'll grow in time!" Weiss shrieked.

"Guys," Ruby called meekly from the side. "I'm still here…"

"Hush, Rubes!" Yang said. "The adults are talking here."

With Ruby grumbling while sitting beside her, Blake was genuinely surprised at how quick Jaune was growing on her team. Well, at least with Yang. They were sitting on one of the many picnic tables generously scattered around the campus. The life of a huntsman was hard, and the harsh training would no doubt be stressful. The campus goes out on its way to make their students comfortable because of it.

"Age is just a number," Yang quipped.

"And jail is just a room," Jaune continued.

"Purge that mentality from your heads! This is your sister we're talking about, Yang!" Weiss shrieked.

"But she is indeed really cute," Jaune mused. Ruby stuttered incomprehensibly at his praise, her face as red as her beloved hooded cloak.

"See? He gets it!" Yang smiled, wrapping an arm around Jaune's shoulder, which prompted a small blush from Jaune.

 _Oh, gods… Yang is already a bad influence on Jaune…_

"Anyway, Jaune," Blake interrupted the… heated discussion.

"Yeah?" he answered.

"What are you doing here at Beacon?"

"Oh, right!" Pulling up a plastic bag, Blake could see that they were filled with books. "You left these books at my apartment. So, I thought I'd return them to you. I've always wanted to see Beacon too."

"Is that so?" Blake asked, putting the bag on the table and peering inside. Indeed, inside were the books that she had bought a few days ago. Although Blake couldn't see their importance anymore now that her problem was resolved.

"Just keep them," Jaune said, as if reading her mind. "You never know what you'd encounter in your line of work."

Which was true. A life of a huntress was always full of surprises. Or at least that was what the people say. Too bad Blake doesn't really like surprises.

"Books on ghosts and supernatural? I didn't know you're interested in those things, Blakey," Yang said, peeking inside the plastic.

"For research purposes," Blake said.

"Right… Just so you know, I've had my fair share of supernatural encounters."

Ruby huffed, "Your weird dreams don't count, Yang."

"You never know with dreams, Rubes!"

Blake would have agreed with Ruby initially, but after her encounter with the literal ghosts of her past, she was inclined to believe otherwise. Sitting across her, Jaune also looked rather pensive after Yang mentioned her dreams. Team RWBY, or at least the W and B, didn't know much regarding Yang's dream. Just that it bothered her sometimes, leaving her waking up in the middle of the night with a loud gasp. Sometimes the others were awakened by the noise, sometimes they weren't.

Believing a change of scenery, as well as a tour, might be beneficial, Blake stood up. "You said you've always wanted to see Beacon, right? How about a short tour?"

"Really?" Jaune's eyes shone with child-like wonder, which was something Blake had seen beforehand. The rest of her team stood up, and she could see Weiss moving to stand the furthest from her. It irked Blake, but a part of her understood the reason for her behavior. Blake had opened up about them about being a faunus. While that single fact didn't bother Weiss very much, the next piece of information was what drove a wedge between them.

She had admitted to being a former member of the White Fang. She didn't disclose much, just the fact that she was pretty much born into it, and that she had left the organization when it became too violent for her. The train incident was something she wasn't sure she'd be able to share for a long time. She wasn't even that comfortable at the fact that Jaune and Qrow knew of some of its details.

Still, it didn't mean she liked the way Weiss was behaving. Jaune chatted a bit with Yang and even Ruby as the team of girls led him through various parts of the campus. He had stared in wonder at almost everything Beacon had to offer, and Blake could only wonder if this was how civilian viewed huntsman and huntresses. Were they reverent of the protectors of the kingdoms? Were they idolized? Frankly, Blake wasn't here for any of those reasons, but she could imagine some of her comrade in arms going in for those exact reasons.

Walking Jaune to the cafeteria for some light lunch, the boy suddenly turned to Weiss, expressing some sort of interest. The heiress, in return, was already turning her chin up, as if expecting some kind of adoring drivel from the blond. And probably to compensate for her lack of height when talking to Jaune. An air of superiority works wonders, as Weiss would say.

"Say, Weiss," he called.

"What is it?"

"Weiss Schnee, right?" he asked. The white-haired girl tilted her head in confusion, as the three of them had clearly introduced themselves with their full name.

"What of it?" she asked haughtily, already expecting the worst. Blake looked at Jaune's face and she could clearly see him struggling to hold up a smile.

 _Nice first impressions, Weiss…_

"Well," Jaune started. "I just want to say that it's nice to finally meet you. Whitley doesn't talk much about you."

All traces of haughtiness were gone from Weiss face, replaced by an unreadable expression. "You know Whitley?"

"Yeah! He's pretty much my best friend," Jaune smiled, not noticing the dropping atmosphere around them. Even Ruby looked concerned at Weiss' expression.

"Whitley Schnee?"

"The one and only!"

She was silent for a moment, and Jaune's smile slowly fell as Weiss did not provide him with an answer. "Weiss?" he called out.

"At least someone wants to be his friend. Did he shower you in praises? Or is it Lien?"

Weiss' words struck cold, and Jaune's face turned into a frown. "What are you saying?"

"Of course he never told you. Figures. That braggart has made my live a living hell! He never left me alone, always showing off his accomplishment to gain father's favor! I can't stand him! He was one of the reasons why I trained to no end and moved to Vale. And to realize that he's in Vale as well? No doubt it's because of me!"

Blake's heart had nearly stopped at the chain of events that occurred in front of her. Jaune had raised his hand, eyes red – literally red – in anger with the intention to strike. Yang had moved in lightning fast to intercept him, and she was now holding on to his wrist with a glare. He returned Yang's glare with one of his own. His eyes, which flashed red for a brief second, turned back to blue. Their idle chatter about cute girls beforehand was forgotten to the wind.

Of course, Jaune wouldn't even be able to hit Weiss, even if Yang hadn't stopped him. To compare the reflexes of an untrained civilian with a huntress in training was foolish. But Blake wasn't sure how much Jaune's vampire blood boosted his overall abilities and performance. It was clearly enough for his eyes to turn red when he was angry. Nevertheless, it was a scenario that would only end badly for Jaune.

Letting go of his wrist, Yang gauged his response, body tense in preparation of another action from him. Jaune was still glaring at Weiss, and the heiress narrowed her eyes haughtily, as if to challenge him in disputing her claims.

"I need a moment," Jaune said, breaking off from the group. Blake watched him walk off around the corner, before diverting her full attention to Weiss.

"What was that?" she asked Weiss, to which the heiress huffed.

"I was only stating him facts about my brother. Facts which my brother has obviously hidden away from him. Either way, I told him nothing but the truth."

Blake was about to answer when Yang butted in. "It's the truth, or is it _your truth_?"

"And what's that supposed to mean?" Weiss asked, crossing her arms.

"G-guys!" Ruby placated her teammates, having been silent for the whole exchange. "We should calm down first."

For once, Yang ignored Ruby not in jest, but out of seriousness of the situation. "I mean is that the truth of what happened, or is that the truth that you've accepted to be what happened?"

"I don't know! And I don't care!" Weiss exclaimed. "My time in Atlas isn't a time I like to reminisce about, and my brother is one of the reasons for that, whether Jaune likes it or not!"

The three of them were silent. Yang was still staring at Weiss, her expression unreadable, while Ruby looked concerned for her teammates and their new friend who had just stormed off. But inside her mind, she was imagining Yang addressing her just as Weiss had addressed her supposed brother. Just thinking about it upsets Ruby.

Blake, however, was already turning away from the group. "I'll go after him," she said.

"I'll go with you!" Yang offered, clearly not being comfortable in dealing with the irate heiress.

"I-I'll stay with Weiss, then!" Ruby said. Both Blake and Yang gave the redhead a nod before walking off in search for Jaune. Beacon was a big campus, and it would be a real trouble if Jaune was lost in it.

* * *

Jaune was lost. Even with the tour he had gotten before courtesy of the four girls, he was still lost. Curse his sense of direction – or rather, the lack of it. He had also gotten lost plenty of times early during his stay in Vale. But this was Beacon. And although it was a part of Vale, it was an entirely new place for him. And he was really bad with new places. That and he doubted that he'd be a regular to this place, which eliminated the idea of him memorizing the campus through repetition. This was a one-time thing, after all. What he did, or nearly did, just reinforced that fact.

He screwed up. He really did. He had nearly hit one of Blake's friends. He was still angry that Weiss had insulted Whitley in such a manner, but it wasn't his place. He was a guest here at Beacon, and Whitley's problem with Weiss was a private matter. It wouldn't do for him to just play judge and jury like that.

Running a hand down his face, Jaune looked at his scroll. Still a few hours until he needed to go to Tukson's. Spotting a ledge that was overlooking the cliffs towards Emerald Forest, Jaune sat down on it and let his legs dangle by the edge. Beacon had some beautiful sights. That was one of the first things that came to his mind when he first got off the bullhead, his excitement overshadowing his usual motion sickness.

He still stood by that fact. Jaune doubted most of the students would even sit down and enjoy the view, especially with how much they walk past such views on a daily basis. Things get stale when it repeats itself over and over again, after all. Maybe he should be glad that this would probably be his first and last visit to Beacon.

"You're not thinking of jumping, are you?"

With a yelp, Jaune turned his head around to see Yang staring down at him from behind. Surprisingly, her face held a small smile. Something he wasn't expecting considering what happened just a few minutes before. Wordlessly, she flopped down beside him on the ledge.

"I thought you're with your team?" Jaune asked.

"Blake and I decided to look for you before you get lost. We decided to split up to cover more grounds."

Oh well, a little too late for that, since the reason he was sitting here was because he didn't know where to go. Still, it's the thought that counted, right?

"And you found me first, it seems."

"Yup!" she said, leaning backwards on her hands.

"And you're not mad? I almost hit your teammate."

"This is a school that teaches combat, Jaune. If I get mad at every little strike that hits my teammates, this school won't be left standing," she laughed. "Still, given the situation, I guess I'd be a little mad if that hit did connect."

"I probably screwed things really bad between us, didn't I?"

Yang shrugged, "To be honest, I don't really blame you."

"You don't?"

She shook her head. "I'd be mad too if someone badmouths my best friend like Weiss did. That and I can't imagine ever saying things like that about Ruby. Sure, I get mad at her sometimes, but she's my sister, you know?"

"Oh, I know," Jaune chuckled. "I have sisters myself. Eight of them."

"Woah… I get crazy sometimes with just one sister. How'd you manage?"

"When you're facing your adversaries, you gotta think like them," Jaune smiled, jokingly pointing at his head like a seasoned strategist talking about a war plan.

"Oh, is that why your yelp sounded so girlish?"

"We're having a heart-to-heart, Yang. Don't ruin it."

"Oh?" she grinned teasingly. "Already talking about my heart, eh, Tiger?"

"Eh," he shrugged. "I don't think I have a chance at your heart. You could do better than me."

"You're right. I could."

 _Ouch. Right on my fragile heart…_

"Not to hurt your ego, but I'm not really interested in guys."

"Bad experience?" Jaune asked.

She tilted her head. "I guess? You could say that. Besides, girls are less likely to stare at my tits every two seconds."

"Hey, I'm not that bad!"

"You stare at my tits every ten seconds," she teased.

"I don't!" he retorted with a blush, before going silent for a second. "Do I?"

She laughed, and he couldn't help but laugh as well, even if he was the one being teased. Jaune couldn't remember ever talking so freely with a girl like this. It was like talking to an old friend. Maybe it was just a Yang thing? To bring people out of their shell more? Even Jaune had noticed Blake being slightly more talkative around Yang, if only to retort to the blonde's statements. After a while, they both stopped laughing and just enjoyed the silence.

"Weiss never really told us about her family. I guess not everyone can have what they want out of family, huh?" Yang said.

"Weiss doesn't know the Whitley that I know."

"To be fair, you don't know the Whitley that she knows either," Yang shrugged. "I can't judge the guy, since I never met him, after all. But we're dealing with biased views of two different perspectives."

"Wow. You sounded really wise just now…"

"Well, that's what you become after living with Ruby for fifteen years. I can't complain, though," she smiled. "It has been a Yang-tastic life for me!" She flashed him a wink and a thumbs up, to which Jaune groaned.

"And the moment is gone. That was bad, Yang," he shook his head in disappointment.

"Oh well," she shrugged playfully. "We can't agree at everything. Although I don't think sounding really _Weiss_ is much of a compliment, eh?" She nudged his arm.

"Yang…" he groaned.

* * *

Blake scoured the exterior of Beacon, her feline eyes sweeping left and right for any sign of Jaune. Beacon was a huge school, and people unfamiliar with the layout could easily get lost. Hell, even she sometimes had to ask people for directions in this place.

Looking down at her side, she had to admit that the plastic bag full of books that she was carrying was beginning to feel like an unwanted baggage. She never thought she'd ever think of books as unwanted baggage, but here she was.

Arriving a few feet away from the ledge that overlooked the cliffs of Emerald Forest, Blake stopped for a moment to take in her surroundings as well as to bask in the comfortable breeze. There was no one there. The ledge was devoid of people, despite the rumor that she heard of that very spot being a popular place for students to think.

She supposed she just had a bad timing on confirming said rumor, and Jaune being on the ledge would be too convenient, as well as a tad bit dangerous. It was quite the drop off that ledge, and while she trusted the high school student to have a sense of self-preservation, accidents do happen. She wondered why there were no railings built. She supposed she could take it up to the headmaster. Surely he wouldn't shoot down her suggestion to increase the safety measures around the campus.

Moving away to check other areas, Blake did not notice the shimmer in the air, nor the bird that flew out of the thin air behind her. The air rippled like water, and for a moment, one could hear the faint sounds of two people laughing from the other side, if not for the breeze masking their sound.

* * *

"Did you feel that?" Yang asked, her demeanour suddenly turning serious.

"Feel what?"

"I don't know," Yang said, looking around. "The air just felt off for a sudden."

"I don't smell, do I?"

"I'm serious, Jaune."

That shut Jaune up. To see the joke-loving Yang turning serious unnerved him a bit. Jaune had faced huntsmen before, but he never got to know them on a personal level. Back then, he was the hunted, and they were the hunters. It was a simple, clean-cut relationship. Even Qrow was an enigma for him, as he never really saw much of Qrow in combat. Most of what he saw of Qrow in a combat environment was against Grimm, which included the fight a few nights back.

Yang looked around for a while, eyes narrowed and focused. Jaune wondered if that was one of the perks of an unlocked aura; the ability to be much more aware of one's surroundings. While Jaune wanted normalcy of all things, especially after the events of spring break, he would be lying if he said such ability wouldn't be useful back then.

Suddenly, Yang stared straight ahead towards the cliffs, eyes widening in shock. Confused, Jaune followed her line of sight, seeing nothing. "Yang?" he called. She ignored him, and the words that came out of her mouth confused him even more.

"It can't be," she muttered. Standing up from the ledge, Jaune looked up at Yang's stiff form.

"Yang, you're scaring me."

Then, without any warning, she took a step forward. Jaune was too shocked to say anything, or even do anything. Her left foot stepped off the ledge, and he fully expected her to fall down off the ledge. But she didn't. Her left foot stepped on air, and held on. Then she brought another foot forward. Her eyes were still set forward, as if she was experiencing a bout of tunnel vision, with everything around her gone and forgotten.

She was now walking on air, and Jaune was too shocked to respond. Then suddenly, it was as if the air itself swallowed her. She was gone in a flash while walking in midair, leaving nothing behind. Not even a strand of hair.

"Huh?" Jaune let out. "Huh!?"

Jaune took a few steps back as he stared at the spot where Yang just disappeared. Was this his curse or something? To have supernatural things haunting his every step? He figured that having a vampire living in his shadow would attract some, but this soon!? Jaune had half the mind to pull his hair out, but opted instead on pacing worriedly by the ledge.

What should he do? What could he do? He was out of his depth. The last time something supernatural happened, he had Qrow by his side. He wasn't prepared. Not now! At least give him time to prepare. Jaune cursed every god out there, even The Brothers, at giving him such a shitty hand.

Should he search for Blake? But Beacon was a big place, and he could just get even more lost, which was something he couldn't afford to do with Yang in trouble. Find the rest of Team RWBY? No, no… That would still present the problem of him being lost.

 **"** _ **Follow her, you idio – Master."**_

Jaune stopped pacing, processing the voice in his head. Was that Cinder? She had talked to him. She had finally talked to him. He prodded his mind for more, but all he got was silence. Still, it was progress. Never mind the fact that she called him an idiot, Jaune was elated and glad that they still had chance for a common ground. Shelving his thoughts aside, Cinder had clearly said to follow Yang. Nervously, he looked down over the ledge, already feeling a little lightheaded at the sheer drop.

"Okay!" he told himself. "Yang was fine. You'll be fine as well!" How hard could it be, right? Taking a deep breath, Jaune closed his eyes and lifted up a foot. Instinctively, he expected his foot to fall through and let gravity be his master, but the feeling of something beneath his foot prompted him to open his eyes. He couldn't believe it.

He was walking on thin air! He took another step, and another. He was now quite a bit away from the ledge, and he couldn't help but feel his legs shake at the thought. _Don't look down, Jaune!_

And of course, he looked down. He wasn't one to usually clamp up from heights, but this was all too surreal. Surely no one could fault him for tripping on his feet after looking down? And that, he did. With his legs a tangled mess and eyes closed, Jaune fell forward. The cool rush of air enveloped him, and he opened his eyes, expecting to be in free fall.

In a way, he was. But the place he was falling in was hardly familiar to the grounds of Beacon, or even the cliffs of Emerald Forest. Streaks of light went past by him as he fell through what seemed to be a portal. The lights were going past him in many different colors, almost like rainbow streaks. He was mesmerized by the sight for a second, before he remembered what he was supposed to be doing.

"Yang!" he called out to her. No answer. He called again. Still no answer. He was beginning to get anxious, not just because of Yang's disappearance, but also because he was wondering if he was ever going to reach the bottom of his fall.

"It seems this is some kind of wormhole," Cinder said nonchalantly, freely falling by his side.

"H-huh?" Jaune's mouth hung open dumbly. "C-Cinder?"

"Hm?" she crossed her arms. "What is it, Master? Watch out below or you'll hurt yourself."

"H-huh!?"

With a loud crack, Jaune's body reached the end of its fall, sending him in a sprawling mess of limbs and blood. Cinder deftly landed on her feet, almost like a ballerina. Jaune on the other hand, was screaming in pain as he rolled like a ragdoll before coming to a stop. He could feel a few of his ribs being cracked inwards, with one rib awkwardly sticking out of his chest. His right arm along with his left leg was also bent in an awkward angle, with pieces of bone protruding from the skin. It didn't take long for his healing factor to kick in; as his bones popped back to their places and the wounds mend themselves. The process was no less excruciating, however.

Cinder scoffed at Jaune's pained screams, her child-like body looking very out of place with her casual dismissal of the gore in front of her. "Oh, calm down, Master. You've healed from worse wounds. You've survived bisection, decapitations, as well as several limbs being torn off. And let's not forget that one time you were burning alive."

"FUCK!" Jaune yelled out, ignoring Cinder's comment. The pain of having multiple of his bones being set back coursed over his body as his screams slowly died down to a whimper. He had forgotten how excruciating the process was, and he didn't have the luxury from the adrenaline of a battle masking his pain right now.

Shakily standing up on his feet, Jaune looked at Cinder. "W-what are you doing out?"

"It seems getting into this pocket space forces me out of your shadow," she shrugged. "Well, no matter. Best to find the cat faunus' friend before anything happens to her."

"Right. Yang." Jaune looked around him, not really complaining about Cinder's awfully convenient timing. He expected something akin to a forest surrounding him, but much to his surprise, he was staring at a very familiar intersection in Vale. It was the middle of the night, and they were the only ones there. The lack of life unnerved Jaune a bit, but he could easily recognize the place. It was the same intersection he regularly passes on his way to work. His remaining pain forgotten, Jaune looked to Cinder for an answer. She was about to roll her eyes, but managed to refrain from doing so.

"Like I said," she gestured around them. "We seem to have entered some kind of wormhole, and are now in a type of pocket space."

"But… why does it show Vale? We were in Beacon."

Again, she shrugged. "I don't know," she admitted. "I may have lived for over five centuries, but I usually avoid any supernatural aberrant that I can't eat."

Of course, her answer did not satisfy Jaune, but he guessed neither of them could help it. Feeling the pain from his healing subsiding, Jaune stretched his arms, testing his newly healed body. It was a shame that his hoodie got punctured by one of his ribs. As if sensing his thoughts, Cinder stepped closer to Jaune and put a palm on his torso, covering the hole on his hoodie. In a flash, the hole was covered as if it was brand new.

"Oh, right," Jaune blinked. "I forgot you could do that."

"You honestly forgot that vampires can generate matter?" Cinder narrowed her eyes, looking up at him. "I'm almost embarrassed to call you my master."

Jaune raised an eyebrow. "Almost?"

"I wasn't lying when I offered you that choice, Master," Cinder said. "If you did accept, I would've taken care of you, teach you my ways, perhaps even come to care for you beyond a master-servant relationship."

Her words hung in the air, and Jaune knew what she was insinuating. Unfortunately he burned that bridge months ago when he finally decided to face her in battle. She who had looked for death, found a ray of hope to live within him. He squashed her hopes when he rejected her, and when she asked for death, he refused to give her the luxury.

"And now here we are," Jaune said.

"Yes," she replied, eyes downcast. "I cannot forgive you for what you did, even if I understand why you did so. And nor can you find it in you to forgive me for my actions. Forgetting is out of the question, and forgiveness is something we're certainly not getting from each other for a very long time."

Jaune turned to her, lips pursed in thought. She was right, after all. He had thought the same thing multiple times over the last few months. So what could they do?

Cinder looked up at him, seemingly sensing his thoughts. Maybe she could actually do so? Was that part of the master-servant connection? Jaune reminded himself to ask it of her later.

"So what do we do?" she asked, mirroring his thoughts. "Thanks to you, we are now stuck as master and servant, our positions now reversed. I can offer you my services, but what do you want?"

What did he want? Jaune wasn't sure. Even after months of mulling about it he wasn't any closer to finding an answer for that question. Jaune glanced at Cinder, only to see her facing away from him. Clearly she did not expect an immediate answer from him, which relieved him a bit.

They both stood next to each other, Cinder seemingly content in staring at their surroundings, while Jaune was dreading the awkward silence. Averting his eyes from her, he caught onto something from the corner of his eyes.

"Is that blood?" Jaune asked, pointing at an alleyway not far from them. He wasted no time in running towards the location, and he could hear Cinder following not far behind him, her short legs seemingly not being much of a hinder for her. Jaune turned around the corner to inspect the alleyway, but what was in front of him stilled him.

Cinder was sitting under a flickering light, blood profusely flowing from multiple wounds all over her body. But most of all, it was Cinder's adult form, which exudes an aura of otherworldly beauty even with the multitude of wounds covering her.

"W-what?" Jaune stumbled back. He would've fallen on his butt if Cinder, his Cinder, hadn't caught him from behind, her exceptional strength belying her child-like figure.

"What do you see, Master?" she asked.

"D-don't you see that?" he pointed down the alleyway. Cinder's eyes squinted, merely humoring her master's question, as he knew that there was no need for her to squint. Vampires have enhanced eyesight and can see in the dark, after all.

"I don't see anything," she said.

"B-but there's you, over there!"

Jaune expected her to look at him in doubt and confusion, but she instead put a hand under her chin in thought. It didn't even take her ten seconds to respond. "Perhaps what you see in this pocket space depends on the person?" she suggested.

"What do you mean?"

"I know you're not lying, Master. You were clearly shaken by what you saw. But I saw nothing but an empty alleyway. I don't even see a drop of blood," she said, gesturing towards the pavement. From Jaune's view, however, the pavement was drenched with blood.

"So it's just my mind playing tricks on me?"

"I wouldn't say that. You said you saw me there, right?" she pointed at the same spot Jaune had pointed. He nodded, prompting Cinder to continue. "So maybe this place holds significance to you. Like a past memory."

"Now that you mention it," Jaune said, looking over the alleyway they were in. "This is where I first met you."

"Perhaps," she shrugged. "My mind was hazy at the time. I couldn't remember where I was for the most part."

"Still," Jaune said, eyes narrowing at the thought within his mind. "This could be problematic."

"Indeed," Cinder nodded. "The cat faunus' friend might be seeing an entirely different place than we do now. The city of Vale holds significance for the both of us, but it may not hold the same value to her."

Leaving the apparition of Cinder behind, Jaune walked out of the alleyway with the real Cinder on his heels, seeing nothing but empty streets. There were no cars. No people. Not even a sign of a cockroach or a rat scurrying about.

They were trapped with no way out, and with Yang literally stuck in her own little world, the act of finding her had suddenly become much more complicated. She could be anywhere. She could be walking past them and they wouldn't even realize it. But before they could even think of finding the blonde huntress in training, they had to think of a way to break out of this apparition of Vale made by their own minds.

Once again, he cursed every god that existed in Remnant for his shitty luck.

* * *

 **Back with another chapter! As you've probably noticed, I love writing banters and dialogues. Like, I really love doing them. I much prefer doing dialogues than fight scenes, to be honest.**

 **Anyway, we've seen the beginnings of Weiss' story arc in this chapter, and Weiss and Whitley's relationship will take a front seat once Weiss' story arc starts. That being said, I had so much fun writing Yang. Not only is she an upbeat character, but you could put any words in her mouth, give it a bit of** _ **Yang Flair**_ **and there will be little chance of her going OOC.**

 **Cinder is now officially part of the** **cast, and as you've noticed by now, she will be playing a large role in this arc, as this is her introductory arc. Do not fret, though. This is still a Jaune x Blake fanfic, and Cinder will certainly give Jaune his space when it's time to get hot and bothered.**

 **Tell me what you think of this chapter in the reviews. Don't forget to follow and favorite as well.**

* * *

 **TEASER FOR THE NEXT CHAPTER:** _ **Yang Past, Part 3**_

"Well, if it isn't the legendary _Dragon_ herself, Cinder Fall. And then there's her slave. Oh, how could I forget? It's the other way around this time, isn't it?"

"What are you doing here!?"

"Don't tell me you're still sore about our little fight. It was a job, Jaune-boy. No hard feelings, eh?"

"You shot my balls! Multiple times! And you were enjoying it!"

"Hey! I said no hard feelings, kid. Help me out here, Neo."


	6. Chapter 6: Yang Past, Part 3

**The Intersection(s) at Vale**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY or any of its characters. I'm just playing around with Rooster Teeth's property.**

* * *

 **in·ter·sec·tion**

 **in(t)ərˈsekSH(ə)n**

 _ **noun**_

 _a point or line common to lines or surfaces that intersect._

 _ **"the intersection of a plane and a cone"**_

 _a point at which two or more things intersect, especially roads._

 _ **"red and green lights at the nearby intersection"**_

 _an action of intersecting._

 _ **"his course is on a direct intersection with ours"**_

* * *

 _Yang Past, Part 3_

It had been hours. Hours! And still, they had no idea on what to do or where to go. Aimlessly wandering the empty city of Vale did little to help, or even brighten their moods. He had tried calling Blake from his scroll, which thankfully hadn't been crushed during his fall. To his lack of surprise, there was no signal in this pocket dimension he had literally stumbled into. Having settled herself on Jaune's shoulders, Cinder put her chin on Jaune's head, before letting out a loud yawn.

"I'm tired," she said.

"What, you're tired? I'm the one carrying you around here!"

She ignored him, seemingly not caring of her supposed master's plight. Nestling her face in Jaune's messy blond hair, she let out a long muffled sigh. "I want some apple juice."

Jaune could feel one of his eyes twitching. This was not the time for one of her many cravings, nor her childishness. Despite her demands to not treat her like a child, she had always acted like one. It was unkind of him to say this, but Cinder had always been a child, even as an adult fully-powered vampire. Of course, as an adult, such childishness unnerves people, and as people often say, _children are cruel_. It was even more unnerving when the child in question uses big words like an adult, no doubt having picked them up from her long life.

The child in adult body never really grew up over the past five centuries, never truly having connections and interactions for her to learn from, as she was isolated from the rest of humanity. Humans were prey to her, and other vampires were nothing but rival enemies. She was self-absorbed to a fault, and often threw tantrums when things don't go her way. That had been months ago. And it seemed that she hadn't changed that much.

So, as her master, what was he supposed to do? Did that make Cinder's well-being and growth as a person to be his concern? He supposed it did. Well, he guessed that now was as good time as any to start on his attempts at parenting.

"Hey, Cinder," he called, nodding his head upwards to catch her attention. Cinder's chin bobbed up and down along with his head, prompting her to look down at him.

"What is it, Master?"

"Don't sleep just yet. Help me out here."

She groaned. "But I'm tiiired…"

"Come on, now. I'll even buy you two boxes of cream puffs when we're done here."

"Bribing me, huh?" she huffed. "I have more pride than that, Master. As the former _Dragon_ of Remnant, a mere offering of cream puffs won't be enough to please me."

"Double chocolate and pumpkin fillings."

"Deal."

Was that considered bad parenting? Oh cut him some slack. A little bribing here and there wouldn't harm anyone, except for his wallet, that is. Still, it beats having a dead weight on his head. Having accepted his offering, she jumped off his shoulders, flipping a few times before landing in front of him in perfect form.

 _Show off…_

"Well, then," she started. "Where should we start?"

"Kind of late to say that, don't you think?" Jaune's left eye twitched. "I've been walking all over Vale for hours."

" _We've_ been walking all over Vale," Cinder corrected.

 _This brat…_

"Fine… _We_ have walked all over Vale for hours," Jaune sighed. "There's no lead for us to follow."

Cinder hummed in thought for a second. "What if we go beyond Vale?"

"Beyond?"

"Yeah, as in, we go to the borders," she said. "This version of Vale exists solely because it means something to us, but what if we go outside of it?"

"You sure about that?"

She shrugged. "Well, what else is there to do?"

"I guess so. But still," Jaune looked at the horizon, imagining the distance they have to cover. "It'll take hours until we reach the borders."

"Are you still thinking of going to that part-time job of yours?" Cinder raised an eyebrow. "Just call in sick later. It wouldn't be very far from the truth."

Of course, she would suggest that. But Jaune had to admit that it was very tempting. This was more than he bargained when he thought to visit Beacon and return some books. Dealing with pocket dimensions and a missing person was not in his agenda for Saturday.

"Hey, Cinder."

"What?"

"Can you lend me some of your vampire powers? It'll make things faster, and it might help us if we run into anything."

Cinder crossed her arms. "First off, address that request as an order! I would not have a spineless noodle like you as a master. Show some backbone!"

 _Brat…_

"Fine!" Jaune huffed. "I order you to lend me your powers!"

Her eyes were looking over him as she leaned from one foot to the other. "Better," she said with a small smile. "All you need is confidence, Master."

 _Who are you, my dad!?_

"Anyway," Jaune coughed, pulling the collar of his hoodie to the side to reveal his neck. "You'll need to drink my blood, right?"

"Of course." Jaune crouched down to his knees, while Cinder positioned herself by his neck, ready to bite down. "How much should I take?"

"I'll pat your head when it's time to stop."

Nodding hear head, Cinder immediately bit down on his neck and sucked his blood. Jaune could feel the energy coursing through him, but also pain; a burning searing pain that ran through his body.

Jaune hissed in pain, but did not pat Cinder's head to stop. And so, she continued. Energy coursed through her body as well, and unlike Jaune, her aura glowed like a beacon. The more blood she sucked, the larger her aura became. With more power coming back to her, a child's body was not enough to contain it. Her body shape-shifted along with the coursing energy to accommodate her growth in power.

Feeling the larger weight leaning on him, Jaune patted Cinder's head a few times. She unlatched herself from his neck and stood back up, new clothes already covering her figure. She looked to be about his age now, her face had lost most of her baby fat and chubbiness, leaving a perfectly shaped face and sharp focused eyes. Her midnight black hair was still short, but he felt it suited her current model-like figure.

Standing up while ignoring the burning pain in his body, Jaune took off his hoodie and his under shirt, before putting his hoodie back on, leaving his undershirt on the sidewalk. He flexed his fingers, already feeling his growth in strength as well as the tightening of his muscles. The aura connection between him and Cinder made sure of that, as the only thing that could break it was the death of either of them.

He looked at Cinder, seeing her wearing a similar red hoodie, now larger in size. But instead of a frilled skirt, she was now wearing black casual shorts that showed off her legs, while white canvas shoes covered both of her foot.

"Huh," Jaune let out.

"What is it, Master?" she narrowed her eyes.

"I never took you to be so casual," Jaune tilted his head. "Didn't you wear a thigh slit dress in your adult form?"

"First off, I'm effectively a teenager," she huffed, crossing her arms under her breasts, which Jaune couldn't help but glance at for a second. "Secondly, my taste in clothes is mine, even if you're my Master!"

 _Great… She even has the temperament of a teenager…_

"Okay, okay," Jaune said, raising his hands in defense. "So, if your form is around my age, you're not at full power, right?"

"Correct," she nodded. "And neither are you."

"I see," Jaune looked at his hands, slightly shaking from the burning sensation that still coursed through him. Although, with only his hoodie covering his torso, the pain was slowly subsiding to a bearable level. "And compared to how I was during spring break, how strong am I?"

Cinder tilted her head for a moment. "I'd say you're currently about fifty or sixty percent of what you were back then. At this point, the sun would probably only sting your skin, so there's little worry of you burning alive and turning to ash, ha ha."

Ignoring her callous way of saying his potential death, he asked, "And you?"

"Me?" she hummed. "Certainly strong enough to tousle with a huntsman or two, but nowhere near my prime. So, let's say I'm at about thirty percent of my total strength, give or take. Forty, if we're being generous."

Ah, yes. Jaune had forgotten for a moment just how powerful Cinder had been. To call her a force of nature would probably more accurate than calling her an individual. Still, putting it into perspective, his luck had been the only thing keeping him alive during spring break. If she hadn't been suicidal and yearning for company, he would've been reduced to a paste during their climactic confrontation, even with his extremely fast healing as a full vampire.

"Right, then," Jaune flexed his legs, satisfied that the pain had subsided to a mere stinging throb. He checked his teeth, satisfied when he felt his longer fangs, which was a sign of the exchange being successful. "I say we don't waste any more time. We're running to the walls, right?"

Cinder nodded. "It's a safer bet than the docks. We don't know if the ocean counts as a border or not."

"You think there might be Grimm in the forest?"

She shook her head. "I doubt it, but we can't be too sure."

"Okay then," Jaune said, stretching his arms and legs.

"Say, Master," Cinder called.

Jaune looked up at her from his stretching position, touching his toes with his fingers. "What?" he asked.

"Since there's no one else here," she said, shuffling from one foot to the other. "Can we have a race to the borders?"

Jaune thought about it for a second before giving her a small smile. "Sure. Let's go wild." The elated expression on her face was a surprising welcome to their otherwise dour day. He figured that she hadn't have the chance to stretch her legs, so why not?

"Okay then!" she exclaimed, setting herself into a starting position with her left leg behind her right. "The last one there has to wash the dishes for a month!"

Jaune had half the mind to tell her that he washes the dishes all the time anyway, and also the fact that he lived alone. Still, he wouldn't say no to a bonding time, given their previous relationship. What better way to break the ice?

"Don't think I'm going to hold ba – hey wait!"

With a head start, she had left him in the dust. He could hear the faint echoes of her almost-manic laugh across the empty city and couldn't help but smile. She was such a child. Without any further distractions, Jaune went off into a run of his own, leaving a cloud dust in his wake due to his enhanced strength and speed.

He did not realize the pair of mismatched eyes that was watching the two of them from the top of a building.

* * *

"Where's Jaune?"

"Never mind what happened to Jaune! Where's Yang!?"

"Weiss, that's not nice!"

"Well, sorry for caring more for my teammate, Ruby!"

Blake could feel a headache coming as both of her teammates argued. She had returned to the picnic table empty handed with no Jaune or even Yang in sight. She had tried to call both of their scrolls, which got no answers from either of them, the scroll saying that they were out of range. Where could they be, the Emerald Forest? Blake was fairly sure that signal from the CCT could easily reach Emerald Forest. So maybe the forest was out of the question.

 _Or was it…_

Blake looked uncertainly at the plastic bag next to her, the books Jaune brought her coming to mind. Could it be that an aberration got hold of them? The idea seemed really farfetched, but the little she had read about vampires from Beacon's library mentioned how supernatural beings naturally flock around vampires. And Jaune was a human with vampire traits. Still, she couldn't be sure about the credibility of the book she read, as it was more of a guide to fantasy creatures with pretty pictures and whatnot.

"Hey, Russ! Where are you going?"

Glancing to the side, Blake caught sight of two of CRDL's members, specifically Russel Thrush and Cardin Winchester himself. The latter was holding on to his teammate's shoulder. A part of her was wary of their presence, especially knowing their team's open attitude towards the faunus, and not the good kind of attitude. She was glad that she had decided to keep her bow, even after telling her teammates.

"Just wanna go and hang out on that ledge, man. Usual stuff," Russel said.

"Not now, Russ. People are talking, saying that weird stuffs have been happening on that ledge."

"Huh? What kind of stuff? I've been going there for days now, and nothing happened to me."

Cardin shook his head. "I'm not gonna haul your stupid ass back to the dorm if anything happens!"

"What kind of stuff?" Blake asked. Both boys were surprised at the sudden intrusion, visibly jumping a bit. When they realized that it was only another student, they calmed down.

"You're the one from Team RWBY, right?" Cardin asked. "Who was it again? Blair?"

"Blake," she deadpanned. "You were saying something about strange things happening on that ledge?" She pointed at the general direction of said ledge.

"I don't know much," Cardin shrugged. "Just what the other students are saying. People get talkative when you ask them for their lu – I mean, when you're having lunch with them."

"And?" Blake continued asking, ignoring Cardin's slipup.

"Freaky stuff," Cardin said, emphasizing his statement with a strange wriggle from his hand.

Russel scoffed incredulously. "Come on, man! That's just stories the others passed around!"

"Whatever it is, I'm not taking chances! Come on, Russ! You haven't done our homework for Monday."

"You mean _your_ homework…"

"Oh, shut it!" Cardin said, messing up Russel's mohawk with his large hand.

Blake watched the two boys lave as she thought about the new info she had just acquired. It was surprising to know that Cardin Winchester believed in ghosts, but she supposed everyone has their own quirks. Still, the rumor about _freaky stuff_ happening on that ledge got her thinking. The rumor didn't exactly say what _stuff_ was happening there, but maybe there may be some things in the books she bought?

Well, first off, she would have to visit that location again if she were to gain any new information. Asking around from other students would only get her so far.

* * *

"Uh, are you sure about this, Blake?"

"Pretty sure, Ruby," Blake answered, taking the lead as they head off for the ledge she had passed earlier.

"Really?" Weiss crossed her arms. "You are really going to believe rumors spread around by teenagers?"

Ruby scoffed. "Gosh… You talk like you're not a teenager yourself."

The small glare from the heiress shut Ruby up. "Guys," Blake called. "I'm serious, okay? You may not believe this, but things aren't as clear cut as we have believed in. The supernatural exists."

"Like… like what?" Ruby questioned.

"Ghosts," Blake answered. Ruby let out an eep, while Weiss simply scoffed.

"Really? We're talking about ghosts now?"

"Not just ghosts," Blake continued. "Vampires, and perhaps even other creatures."

"Vampires?" Weiss scoffed yet again. "Blake, is this about those books you bought?"

"They are a part of it," Blake admitted. "But this is mostly about Jaune."

"And why is he a part of it?" Weiss asked.

"He helped me with my ghost problem," Blake said. "Sorry that I hadn't told you guys about this, but I was afraid that you wouldn't believe it."

"You're right. I don't," said Weiss.

Ruby looked uncertainly to the side. "Well, I'm willing to be more open-minded… but ghosts?"

Blake looked back at Ruby, offering her a small smile. "Don't worry, Ruby. I doubt you have much reason for ghosts to haunt you, unlike with me." Ruby and Weiss knew what she was insinuating, and wisely kept their mouth shut about the matter, as Blake's past was still a sensitive topic for them.

"So," Ruby continued. "What does Jaune have to do with ghosts?"

"It's not ghosts, but vampires," Blake said, continuing her walk. "I'm sure you all noticed how Jaune's eyes turned red for a second."

"Yeah," Ruby answered, the moment coming back to her. "I thought it's a semblance like Yang's."

"The thing is, he doesn't have his aura unlocked. I guess you can call him some sort of quasi-vampire."

"And just how on Remnant did he turn into a vampire?" Weiss asked.

"He only said that a vampire bit him a few months back, and that he managed to mostly return to being a human."

"And you believe him?" Weiss asked skeptically.

"Yes," Blake answered with conviction. "After what he showed me, and what he helped me through, I do believe him, which makes Yang's situation much direr."

Ruby gasped. "How?"

"Vampires attract other supernatural objects, and going by the rumor going around campus, I'm afraid that whatever it is, it had caught Yang and Jaune," Blake said. They arrived at their destination, and the three girls could not spot anything amiss on the ledge, safe for the lack of a safety railing.

"There's nothing here," Weiss pointed out. Blake, however, was undeterred. Moving towards the ledge, Blake was about to peer over it when she noticed a strange shimmer in the air as she got closer. From a distance, or even a few feet away, one would easily miss the way the air moved like water. But from the distance she was from, it was hard not to miss.

"W-what's that?" Ruby asked. "The air looks and feels weird."

"I don't know," Blake said, putting the plastic bag she was carrying on the ground. She cautiously stepped forward and held her hand up. She hesitated for a moment. Taking a deep breath, she reached out a hand and closed her eyes, ignoring the startled protests of Weiss and Ruby.

She expected something, but she did not expect her hand to just go through it. Testing if her hand was indeed fine, Blake took a step forward over the barrier, leaving her two teammates behind. What she found across the barrier was no different, with the cliffs of Emerald Forest still providing its usual view. Anticlimactic as it may be, the barrier she had just passed could be the reason Yang and Jaune had been practically invisible to the world. Alas, there were no signs of her two friends. She peered over the ledge, but still found no sign of them. She was about to turn back when she felt something against her right boot.

Reaching down to the object, she took the small black book in her hands, recognizing its age and used state. Opening a page of it, her eyebrows raised upwards as she realized the contents within it. Various supernatural aberrant were listed in the books, with notes on how to handle them as well as their origins. Multitude of notes were scattered over its pages with different kinds of handwritings littering the side, bottom, and top of the pages.

Flipping over the pages, she came across the account on vampires. Their strengths and weaknesses were listed in detail, but she caught a small note at the bottom of the page.

 _Quasi-vampires' lifespan? Undetermined._

The note would've been irrelevant to Blake if not for the name under said note.

 _Jaune Arc_ , it said. So this was Jaune's book. Blake figured that it had fallen off him after whatever mishap befell him and Yang, which reinforced her theory on the ledge she was standing on being the place they had disappeared.

She noticed that the air continued to shimmer just off the ledge on a certain spot, but the distance between her and said shimmer prevented her from just jumping off. She would not just jump in blindly. She was at least smart enough to not decide on such things. Stepping out of the barrier, Ruby immediately jumped on her, tackling her with a tight hug.

"I thought you were gone!" the younger girl cried out.

"I'm fine, Ruby."

Weiss pointed at the small book in Blake's hand. "What's that?" she asked.

Unlatching herself off Ruby, Blake explained what she knew of the book, as well as giving a few examples of supernatural aberrations to strengthen her statement regarding their existence. Well, that was if the air barrier she had just entered hadn't confirmed their existence to her teammates already.

"Say, that this is indeed a supernatural occurrence," Weiss started. "What do you suppose we do?"

"I mean," Ruby said from the side. "Can't this be some sort of semblance?"

"It could be. But who would do this?" Blake asked. "At best, this could be a harmless prank by a student, but I prefer to work off the worst case scenarios. Less chance for something to catch us by surprise."

Weiss looked expectantly at Blake, waiting for the answer to her question. Blake sighed, preferring to be in their room reading one of her novels. But life just had to surprise her, hadn't it? She hated surprises.

"Right," Blake started. "Might as well do our research now. I'll look over Jaune's notebook."

Ruby raised her hand. "I'll check some of the books you bought!"

"I guess I'll help Ruby with it. Knowing her, she'll be distracted after the first five minutes," Weiss sighed.

"Hey!" Ruby protested, before turning to Blake. "So, what should we search for?"

Blake thought about it for a moment, looking at the shimmering air in front of them, before turning back to her teammates. "Look for anything regarding abnormalities in the air, as well as pocket spaces, if you need to."

"Will do!"

With their task spread out, they found another picnic table, this time, closer to the ledge where Yang and Jaune had disappeared from. Blake opened Jaune's notebook, while Ruby and Weiss started on the first of Blake's bought books.

* * *

"Ha ha! I win!"

Jaune landed behind Cinder, leaving a small crater on the ground from the sheer force of his landing. Such force would've crushed his legs at any other time, but Jaune was stronger and faster than he had ever been in months. Panting to catch his breath, Jaune smiled weakly at Cinder. "Okay, okay. You win," he said.

"That was fun! We should do this more often!"

No, they shouldn't. They really shouldn't. Jaune was pretty sure they toppled over quite a few buildings on the way here, and Jaune was glad that the City of Vale had been devoid of people; otherwise, what they had done would be classified as a city-wide disaster. Heck, Cinder had even tackled him through a billboard when he had gotten the lead, being the sore loser that she was.

So no, he really hoped they wouldn't have to race this way anytime soon. Thank the gods for his accelerated healing, because he would've been twitching by a sidewalk in pain if it were otherwise.

"Anyway," Jaune dusted his pants. "We're at the border. What's our next step?"

"Honestly? We wing it from here."

Jaune narrowed his eyes at Cinder. "Really?"

Cinder shrugged.

Jaune facepalmed. "We can't just wing things, Cinder," he sighed.

"It worked for us so far," she said. "Besides, I can already see the end of the forest there." Cinder pointed at the distance, and sure enough, Jaune could see the edge of the forest. But instead of a clearing, Jaune could see some kind of open space. He looked at Cinder, who offered no answer. Taking point, Jaune trekked closer to the edge, swatting away branches and leaves as he did so.

Looking down over the edge, Jaune could see nothing but blank white space. Kicking a pebble off the edge, he watched as it slowly fell from his view as the seconds went by, until not even a speck could be seen.

"That's a long fall," he thought out loud.

"You bet your Lien it is, Jaune-boy."

Jaune turned around in surprise at the familiar – and unwelcome voice. Even Cinder had a frustrated look on her face for not noticing the man's presence.

"Torchwick!?" Jaune spat out.

Roman Torchwick, criminal extraordinaire, stood in front of them while leaning on his weaponized cane. His orange hair was combed over his right eye as usual, and his white jacket looked as immaculate as ever. It was a familiar sight to Jaune, even down to the lit cigar between the thief's lips, which showed a lack of any worried bone on the older man's part. Roman, however, ignored Jaune in favor of Cinder.

"Well, if it isn't the legendary _Dragon_ herself, Cinder Fall," he said, before turning to Jaune. "And then there's her slave. Oh, how could I forget? It's the other way around this time, isn't it?"

"What are you doing here!?" Jaune asked.

Roman let out a short mirthless laugh. "Don't tell me you're still sore about our little fight. It was a job, Jaune-boy. No hard feelings, eh?"

"You shot my balls!" Jaune glowered. "Multiple times! And you were enjoying it!"

"Hey! I said no hard feelings, kid," Roman chuckled, puffing his cigar and blowing out smoke. "Help me out here, Neo."

It was then that Jaune noticed the interestingly colored individual shadowing Roman. She was short. Really short. Her long hair was tri-colored with brown, pink, and streaks of white. Jaune wasn't sure if they were natural or not. Her brown and pink eyes roamed over him playfully, but Jaune could feel the predatory gaze beneath all the playfulness. She twirled her pink umbrella, and somehow, Jaune just knew that the umbrella was some kind of weapon. People and their crazy weapons these days.

"Know your place, brat!" Cinder spat out, standing between Roman and Jaune. "He asked you what you're doing here!"

To her annoyance, Roman just laughed. "Hoho, calm down now, Ms. Fall." He held up a hand in a placating manner. "You should know from my reputation that if anything supernatural is involved, it's strictly professional for me. The real question is what are you doing here?"

Jaune looked over Cinder's shoulder at the thief. "So you're here on a job? On whose orders?" he asked, ignoring Roman's question.

Roman just shook his head while clicking his tongue. "Nuh-uh, Jaune-boy. I'm a professional. I'm not going to give away my employer just like that. We have quite the deal going on, and I'd hate for anyone to ruin it." His words took a menacing tone at the last sentence, but soon turned back to its usual one. "So, what are two wayward vampires doing in a pocket space such as this?"

Jaune looked uncertainly at Cinder for a while. At her nod, he turned back to Roman. "We're looking for someone."

"Oh, well," Roman shrugged. "Tough luck, then. Finding someone here is damn near impossible, especially if they got themselves trapped in any kind of illusion."

"How did you find us, then?" Jaune asked.

"Oh, we didn't find you," Roman chuckled. "It's more like we stumbled upon you, which would've been impossible if it weren't for Neo here." He pointed at Neo, who was still smiling as she leaned on her umbrella. She hadn't spoken a single word, and her constant smiling was starting to unnerve Jaune.

"How so?" he asked.

"Oh, the details are a trade secret, Jaune-boy," Roman chuckled. "Let's just say she has a way to navigate these paths undisturbed."

Silence washed over them for a few second. Jaune looked uncertainly at Roman, while Cinder narrowed her eyes at Neo, who met her gaze head on without fear. "She's an aberrant, isn't she?" Cinder asked. "She's your _familiar_."

"I guess I'm not surprised you'd know," Roman said, any trace of humor gone. "True, she's not human. At least not anymore."

Jaune's mind whirled. A familiar? Weren't they supposed to be animal companion to witches to aid them in magic? Cinder, as if reading his thoughts, turned her head to him.

"A familiar can be anything as long as it's a kind of spirit that aids a person," she said, before pointing at Neo. "Her spirit is bound to that body through magic."

"W-wait. Bound to that body?" Jaune asked.

"She's effectively a walking corpse with a soul stuck in it," Cinder answered. "Although the kind of things she could do depends on what kind of magic was used to create her, as well as her own aura. I'm curious, though. Even Atlas wasn't close to accomplishing this sort of thing the last time I was there."

Roman mockingly clapped. "My, my. Already off to an exposition dump, are we? Aren't you afraid of boring the readers? Still on our sixth chapter and already just standing and talking. I wonder how we'll be on our fifth volume."

"I don't care for your nonsensical babble, Torchwick," Cinder said. "What I care for, however, is the abilities of your familiar."

"Oh? You want my help?" he chuckled. "I'm not going to do it for free, though."

"Of course you're not," Cinder crossed her arms. "We'll repay you with a favor."

Jaune turned to Cinder in surprise, not exactly fond of owing a favor to one of the most wanted thieves in Vale. The fact that Torchwick delves into the supernatural in his part time just made him much more dangerous. He remembered Qrow's words from back during spring break. Out of all the people that had gone out to hunt for him and Cinder, Torchwick was deemed the most dangerous, despite not being the most combat capable.

Raven Branwen was straightforward and Arthur Watts was clinical in his approach. Roman Torchwick was neither straightforward nor clinical. He was unpredictable, Qrow said; a wild card in the industry. Information was power, and Torchwick had it in spades. Sometimes he would work under an employer, other times, he was an observer, merely gathering info for future use, or leverage. He could be your worst enemy, or your worst ally, but an ally nonetheless. Especially given the right motivations.

"Uh, Cinder? A moment?" Jaune put a hand on her shoulder and pulled her to the side, leaving Roman and Neo to wait for them. Once they were out of earshot, Jaune spoke up.

"Are you sure about this?" he asked.

Cinder, much to his annoyance, just shrugged. "What choice do we have? We both have no experience or even the means to get through this. Why not accept some help from professionals?"

"But it's Torchwick!"

"Last I remember Qrow is a colleague of Torchwick, no? If his expertise is on par with that drunk, then it's not something we could just pass out on," Cinder said. "And as long as we repay him with this favor, we're safe from whatever machinations that he intends for us. At least until we pay our debt."

Jaune had to admit that Cinder's arguments were tempting, but still. It's Torchwick, the guy who shot his balls multiple times during their fight and laughing happily while doing so.

"Wait, Qrow!" Jaune exclaimed. "We can consult Qrow's book for answers!" His enthusiasm while rummaging through his pockets slowly fell down to an agonizing crash as he realized that the small black book wasn't in any of his pockets.

Cinder rolled her eyes and let out a long sigh. "I guess I shouldn't be surprised." Not even Jaune could think badly of her after said comment, knowing that he deserved every ounce of her disappointment for his clumsiness.

Head comically hanging low with a hand holding Cinder's sleeve like a sad child, Jaune let Cinder lead him off back to Roman. "So how is my offer? A favor for a favor?" Cinder asked.

Roman chuckled. "A favor? There seems to be a misunderstanding, Ms. Fall." Roman held up two of his fingers. "You asked for our help on saving your friend, and then to help you out of here. I'm sure you're not old enough that you'd have trouble counting, Ms. Fall, but I'm pretty sure that's two tasks that you're asking from me." Neo mirrored Roman's pose, holding two of her fingers in front of her face. The wink she gave Cinder made the vampire want to strangle the tri-colored girl.

"Fine, then!" Cinder crossed her arms. "Two favors. I can live with that."

"I'm sure you could," Roman smiled, puffing a smoke from his cigar. "Pleasure doing business with you, Ms. Fall. I'll be looking forward to cash in on those favors after we get you and your friend out of here."

Cinder only narrowed her eyes at the thief, knowing that for now, they were at their mercy. She could defend herself and was also fairly confident that she would be able to beat Torchwick in a one-on-one fight. But killing Torchwick wouldn't benefit anyone, much less Jaune and her, for they would be trapped here for eternity without his help.

Roman and Neo turned around, with the former mentioning for Cinder and Jaune to follow them. They were skeptical at first, but Jaune only sighed and motioned for Cinder to follow them. She positioned herself in front of Jaune as they walked, ready to protect him should the need arise. One never knows with someone like Torchwick.

"I trust that you'd keep your word. I do hope that you know of a way to deal with this," Cinder said, eyes still distrustfully roaming over Roman and his partner.

"Please, Ms. Fall," Roman scoffed, before turning his head to face her with a wicked smile. "I know _everything_. It'd be bad for business otherwise."

* * *

 **Not really important, but sometimes, I see fanfic writers portraying Torchwick inhaling the smoke from his cigars. Maybe this is just me nitpicking as a writer and a smoker, but you** _ **do not**_ **inhale the smoke from cigars. They work differently from cigarettes. Inhaling cigar smoke is highly unpleasant because of how thick the smoke is and the amount of nicotine in a single cigar. You just puff it, let it wash in your mouth for a moment, and blow it out. It's not healthier, not at all. To be honest, you're better off not starting with cigarettes or cigars. Take it from me, guys. Still, do your research when writing.**

 **Okay, with that chapter and rant done, I want to ask some questions for you guys to answer. I'm already planning ahead for a few arcs, maybe four or five arcs in the future, give or take. What I'm wondering is the story arc after this one. I am torn between one arc and another. The order of both arcs is pretty interchangeable, and they're largely separated. It also helps that with the episodic nature of my fic, I would only need to make a few small changes to connect them both.**

 **The arcs in question are** _ **Nora Butterfly**_ **and** _ **Ruby Lamb**_ **. I have a few pros and a few cons for prioritizing either arc. But really, I can live with writing either of them first. So my question is this.**

 **Do you want** _ **Nora Butterfly**_ **, which will introduce Team RPN (Reserpine) to Jaune, or** _ **Ruby Lamb**_ **which will further show Team RWBY's dynamic with Jaune?**

 **Don't forget to follow, favorite, and review, guys! I'm looking forward on your opinion on this chapter, as well as the responses regarding the next arc after this one.**

* * *

 **TEASER FOR THE NEXT CHAPTER: _Yang Past, Part 4_**

"Stay away from her, you damn Grimm!"

"Wait, Yang! It's me, Jaune!"

"RAAAHHH!"

"Aw, come on! Not the balls!"


	7. Chapter 7: Yang Past, Part 4

**The Intersection(s) at Vale**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY or any of its characters. I'm just playing around with Rooster Teeth's property.**

* * *

 **A/N: I don't usually respond to reviews in an author's note like this, but I feel that this is something that I need to say and also because I cannot reply to the reviewer. So, Mr/Ms… _Guest_. If you want to stop reading, then you're welcome to do so. I mean no offense, but the sarcastic humor on Blake's part clearly flew over your head. Don't take that literally, please. Blake was teasing him, and Jaune soon realized it as well. No one was harmed. Sarcastic humor and subtle word play are my kind of humor (like the one Blake did, and that one is far from subtle, in my opinion). So if you're the kind of guy/girl who take things at face value, then my stories, specifically this one, is just isn't for you. Or maybe the one at fault is actually me for being too subtle on the delivery, and if that's the case, then I'll consider you a learning experience, sir/ma'am.**

 **Oh, and I'm kinda disappointed that no one mentioned anything about Roman breaking the fourth wall in the previous chapter…**

* * *

 **in·ter·sec·tion**

 **in(t)ərˈsekSH(ə)n**

 ** _noun_**

 _1._ _a point or line common to lines or surfaces that intersect._

 ** _"the intersection of a plane and a cone"_**

 _2._ _a point at which two or more things intersect, especially roads._

 ** _"red and green lights at the nearby intersection"_**

 _3._ _an action of intersecting._

 ** _"his course is on a direct intersection with ours"_**

* * *

 _Yang Past, Part 4_

Team RWBY, minus the Y, had returned to their dorm room with no progress on their part, the frustrated faces of the three girls clearly showing that. The sun had set, and the shattered visage of the moon had only just appeared over the horizon. Blake glanced beside her, Jaune's book lying on her bed. She was a bit peeved that with as much information as it had, it contained nothing about pocket spaces and the like. The same could be said on the books she had bought, which were sitting on her desk. Ruby and Weiss (mostly Weiss) had poured themselves into scrutinizing every little detail they could find, yet to no avail. Even if there was some mention of an air apparition, nothing was said about the particular air shimmer they had seen.

"What do we do?" Weiss asked. Ruby, being the leader, felt really small at not being able to suggest anything. Blake felt the same, but she could only imagine Ruby's burden. Not only was she the team's leader, but Yang was her sister as well.

"We could report this to Ozpin?" Ruby suggested meekly. Blake wanted to hold off on that, but she knew that as the minutes went by, the idea became more tempting. Load off their problems to the grownups. Let them handle the problem. It was easy.

But Blake knew that these kinds of problems were beyond mere huntsmen, and she wasn't sure if someone of Ozpin's caliber was involved in it. She wouldn't be surprised if the answer goes either way. She wasn't sure how many huntsmen delve into the supernatural, but she was fairly certain that they weren't common. Otherwise, Qrow's part time profession would be more of a common knowledge to the masses.

"Blake?" Weiss turned to her, seeing as she had been the one with the answers recently. "Does Jaune book hold no answer?"

"No, it doesn't," Blake sighed, burying her face within her hands. She was tempted to just pull off her bow to alleviate the headache that had been building up for these past few hours. She thought back to what Qrow said back then, and she loathed to admit that her mind had been quite a jumble that night, so her memory was spotty at best.

Didn't he mention that he had nieces in Beacon? Would they know anything about the supernatural? No. She doubted it. If they did, she was sure that it was only on a surface level, like her team. Someone like Qrow seemed to be a person that closes off those around him, even family. She may be judging a book by its cover, but she was going off what little she knew of the man.

They were truly at a dead end here. The mood would've turned even sourer if not for the knock on their door. The three girls looked at each other, showing that neither of them had invited anyone for tonight. Standing up from her bed, Blake reached out for the door and opened it. She was admittedly surprised to see the face of Team RPN's leader, Lie Ren.

The young man was dressed in his usual green outfit, but the frilly apron was certainly new to her. Blake could honestly admit that despite living across the hall from them, she wasn't close with any member of Team RPN. In fact, none of the members of Team RWBY were particularly close with their neighboring team. Maybe the occasional greeting here and there, but nothing more than that.

Their team was an unusual one. A three-man team. Apparently, a civilian had managed to enter Beacon's initiation through forged transcripts, and had died when the staff launched the students off the cliffs. It had caused quite the scandal. And so, with odd number of students left, Team RPN was forced to be the only three-man team in Beacon. That alone would already turn heads, but the identity of the third member turned even more heads. The Invincible Girl, Pyrrha Nikos, was lauded to be the best in their generation. People claim that she was worth two team members all on her own, and given what Blake had seen from combat classes, she was inclined to agree. She was talented, fierce in combat, and not to mention smart in academics.

Outside of that, though?

Blake had never seen Pyrrha do _anything_ of note without her team. Nothing. She follows her team dutifully, executing Ren's orders to the letter. Essentially being the perfect teammate. And yet she was a complete mystery when it comes to social stuffs. Even Blake herself was known as the member of Team RWBY who spends her time in the library doing nothing but reading for hours on end. People knew her quirks, if only out of association with her team members.

Pyrrha Nikos was a mystery.

An enigma.

An aberrant.

Would she go that far to describe Pyrrha, knowing what the word "aberrant" meant to her now? As cruel as it sounded, Blake would.

Their team leader, though? He was hardly a mystery, at least not as much as Pyrrha. Lie Ren was known throughout Beacon, if only because of his partner, Nora Valkyrie. It was hard not to notice the young man when the girl latching on to him was as loud as Ruby on a sugar rush.

"Hello," Ren greeted with a small smile, while holding a plastic container in his hands. "I hope I'm not interrupting anything."

"It's fine," Blake said. "In fact, we could use a distraction, to be honest."

"I'm sorry," Ren blinked. "Is it a bad time?"

"Nope!" Ruby said, letting the "P" pop from her lips. "What brings you here, Ren?"

"I made too many pancakes," he said, lifting the plastic container for the girls to see. Sure enough, there were a few stacks of it inside. "I'm wondering if you'd like any."

"You made too many pancakes?" Weiss asked skeptically. She didn't ask about the fact that Ren cooked pancakes for dinner, for Nora's reputation as a pancake lover was no secret among Beacon students. There was never "too many" for her when it comes to pancakes.

Ren's smile fell a bit. "Okay, I'll admit. I did put a little sleeping drug in Nora's last portion. I wasn't sure how much it would take to knock her out, but now I'm left with too many pancakes to eat myself," he said resignedly. All three girls raised their eyebrows at Ren's admittance of drugging his partner to sleep, and Ren responded with a simple stare, as if saying, _Put yourselves in my position…_

"Why can't you just keep it in the fridge?" Ruby asked.

"Nora broke ours after one of her sleepwalks. She was looking for pancakes, and dreamt about a Grimm blocking her way to the fridge," he answered calmly, talking as if it was nothing more than a footnote. For him and his crazy life with Nora, it probably was. "Anyway. Pancakes?"

"Thanks," Blake accepted the plastic container. "We'll probably save them for breakfast tomorrow. These don't have sleeping drugs in them, right?"

"A sound plan, and no, these ones don't," Ren said, before his eyes were caught on one of Blake's books about the supernatural that were lying on her desk. "I didn't know you are interested in those things."

"And you're interested?" Blake asked.

"The village Nora and I came from had its own share of superstitions," he said. "I used to have quite the interest in the supernatural during my younger days."

"Used to?"

"You have to sort your priorities when you're left orphaned by the Grimm," Ren said with a melancholic tone.

"I'm sorry," Blake said, while both Ruby and Weiss offered their own sympathies.

"Thank you," he smiled. "But it's all in the past. Nora lives in the moment, while I think of our future. It's not a bad life, really."

Blake couldn't help but be amazed at the statement. Such a simple outlook on life, and yet, the satisfied gaze within his eyes told no lies. He truly was content with what he had now. A part of her was jealous, admittedly.

"Do you know anything about shimmering in the air and pocket spaces?" Ruby blurted out. Weiss chided Ruby for her lack of tact, but Blake caught the raised eyebrow on Ren's part.

"I don't know about the latter, but I do know a few things about the former," the black haired boy answered. "In fact, there were many tales of such events around my village back then."

"Such as?" Weiss asked.

Ren answered, "People disappearing under the full moon, stories about strange apparitions in the forest, stories about people looking at their past selves and then disappearing." Blake raised an eyebrow in interest at how easily he listed them. Obviously, it hadn't been simply a mere interest for him if he knew so much.

"What do you do when people disappear in these circumstances?" Blake asked.

Ren took note of the absent fourth member of Team RWBY, but did not comment on it. Instead, he answered Blake's question. "Well, in my village, people disappearing were usually listed off as a Grimm attack. But the stories I heard said that when people are stuck in the past, where their presence dim or even disappear, they need an anchor back to the present; something or someone to pull them back."

"Isn't that a metaphor about not being held back by one's past?" Blake asked.

"Well, that is certainly the moral of the story," Ren nodded. "But who knows? Maybe the interpretation is quite a bit more literal."

"More literal, huh?" Blake mused with a hand under her chin.

"In fact, strange shimmering in the air had been something I saw quite often back then, especially in thick forests," Ren said. "Some exceptions may apply. I once saw one strange shimmering near a waterfall a few years ago with Nora."

"Wow," Ruby said. "You sound like you know everything."

"I don't know everything," Ren smiled. "Just what I know."

"Thanks anyway," Blake said.

"I do hope you sort out your problem," Ren said. "It'll be a shame to lose Yang. You can't save your friend, but you can help her save herself."

Blake said nothing, and neither did her teammates. Ren did not wait for an answer, however, as he immediately walked back to his dorm room. Weiss and Ruby looked confused at Ren's statement. Blake, however, had a thoughtful expression on her face. The phrase Ren said sounded so familiar to Qrow's. Had the boy met the huntsman? Blake certainly wouldn't write it out of the picture. It was all too possible, especially given his interest in the supernatural.

Still, her thoughts wandered back to the solution to their "Yang-Jaune problem". They needed an anchor to return to. Blake thought that she already had a pretty good idea as to what the anchor for Yang was. Now all they had to do was use that anchor. She just hoped that Jaune comes in a set with Yang, because that would really save them the trouble.

* * *

"So what's the deal with this dimension?" Jaune asked.

"Hm. I thought you'd never ask, Jaune-boy," Roman chuckled. "You were so busy glaring daggers at the back of my head."

Would anyone blame him? He wasn't looking a gift horse in the mouth, but one should always be wary when the horse in question is Roman Torchwick. Much to his chagrin, Cinder didn't look the least bit concerned.

What was he asking again? Oh, right. The pocket dimension they were in.

"So what is it?" Jaune asked, intentionally ignoring Roman's jab. The man didn't seem disappointed. Rather, he seemed amused, which irked Jaune even more.

"Honestly, I haven't dealt much with these kinds of aberrations. Things like these mostly happen in secluded rural villages as opposed as a bustling city like Vale," Roman said. "My client's request is an unusual one."

"How so?"

"Aberrations that relate to one's past are not an uncommon thing. Rather, it's one of the most common types of illusion. However, this one is not as common."

Wading through thick leaves, Neo led the way and waved her umbrella. With a swish of said umbrella, the leaves disappeared, leaving the four of them staring at a vacant space with multiple floating pathways leading to various spots of interest. Swirls of rainbows dotted the sky, giving a feel of surrealism to the atmosphere.

The four of them stepped on one of the pathways with Neo leading them. She didn't hesitate. Every branching path was met with zero hesitation from her, while Roman silently followed her lead. Whatever she was doing, Jaune had no doubt that it was tied to her nature as a magical living corpse.

"What makes this one so different?" Jaune asked.

"This pocket dimension we're standing in is sentient."

"W-what?"

Roman chuckled. "Didn't expect that, did you?"

Keeping his expression in check, Jaune continued. "So what makes this job unusual? Were you asked to kill it?"

"Jaune-boy. If you know of a way to kill a dimension, then feel free to tell me. I know _everything_ , and I know that there isn't a way to kill this thing," Roman said. "Oh, no. My mission here isn't to kill this thing. Not that I'd be able to. Ms. Fall wouldn't even be able to eat this aberration. My job is to use Neo's ability and extract some information."

"Information?"

Roman puffed a smoke from his cigar. "This place lures people in through past memories of theirs. Happy ones. Sad ones. It doesn't matter. If it lures you in, this place will use it. And once you're caught, there's no escaping on your own. You'll be trapped here until you die – your aura absorbed and eaten by this dimension as sustenance, with the only remaining thing being your memories. The key to escaping is to not be caught at all."

"Not be caught at all?" Jaune asked.

"Just like how you walked away from Ms. Fall's bloodied figure in that fake Vale, Jaune-boy. Had you reached out as you did a few months ago and be a hero, you would've been trapped. Had Ms. Fall not been with you to put some sense into that brain of yours, it would've been the end for you."

Jaune couldn't help but feel nervous at the thought. He had been very close to dying. And it wasn't a death he could survive with his healing powers. Having one's aura sucked dry? Now that was a terrifying thought.

"So what should we do to save our friend?" Jaune asked.

"Drag her out of her past. If you can convince her, good for you. If you can't, a more forceful method would be required."

The implication wasn't lost on Jaune. Looking at Cinder, Jaune wasn't surprised to note that she wasn't even fazed. When you've lived for more than five-hundred years, not a lot of things would faze you. A combat with a huntress in training was probably a mere footnote for her. They had been walking for nearly fifteen minutes now, and Jaune was beginning to get anxious as to where they were going.

"Hey, where are we going?" he asked. Roman looked back at Jaune bemusedly.

"Your stop," he said, before pushing Jaune off the floating path they were on with his cane. Jaune's scream as he fell was silenced as he was swallowed by the air below the pathway.

"Such a flair for dramatics," Cinder commented after watching her master disappear from her sight.

"I aim to please, Ms. Fall," Roman chuckled. "We'll be waiting right here. Let's put it at… half an hour. I do have a job to attend to."

"Of course," Cinder said smoothly as she jumped off the floating path to follow Jaune. Like Jaune, she was swallowed by the air below her. Roman could only sigh as he puffed another smoke from his cigar.

"Yes, Neo. We'll keep our words for this instance."

Neo, in response, gestured wildly with her hands.

"Two favors is a big deal, Neo. Especially when it's regarding Cinder Fall," Roman said. "Besides, I'm curious as to how Taiyang and Raven's brat will get out of this."

* * *

"Did you break any bones, Master?"

"Thankfully, no."

"Hm… A shame."

"What?"

"Nothing."

Jaune got up and dusted himself off, deciding to drop the matter. It wasn't like this was out of the norm for Cinder. Was she serious or sarcastic about it? Didn't matter. It was blunt and scathing as usual. That was just how she is.

Looking around, Jaune realized that they were surrounded by a thick forest, only this time, a thick fog wafted across the area. Unlike the forest border of Vale, this one seemed more untamed and… well, natural.

"Where are we?" Jaune asked.

Cinder took in their surroundings. "Wherever we are, it's somewhere important to the cat faunus' friend."

"Should we know about it?"

Cinder shrugged. "No. What matters is that we find her."

Fair enough. They certainly did not need to know every little detail to find and deal with Yang. Still, even if it wasn't a place Jaune had ever heard of, it'd put him at ease. Such was the nature of certainty, even if it didn't make anything certain for them.

Trekking through the thick forest, they soon came upon a pathway. It was too large to be a natural, suggesting that the trees had been cut down to make way for people and carts to travel through. Signs of civilization.

Seeing no other option, Jaune led the way as they followed the pathway, with Cinder trailing behind him. Forests were supposed to be full of life, but Jaune hadn't seen any. Not even the sounds of birds rustling through the leaves. The silence was unsettling.

It was a few minutes later that they came upon a clearing, and in the middle of said clearing, stood an old cabin. It looked abandoned, with wild grass growing around it – some of them reaching up to the windows. However, what stood out to them the most was the panting figure of Yang standing in front of said cabin.

"Yang?" Jaune called out. Yang whipped her head back to face him, and he could see layers of sweat on her skin. Her eyes were wide, almost fearful. But there was a hint of rage within it. Not only that, but her lilac eyes had turned blood red. And it was directed at him.

Yang cocked her gauntlet. "Stay away from her, you damn Grimm!"

"Wait, Yang!" Jaune flailed his hands. "It's me, Jaune!"

"RAAAHHH!" She shot her gauntlets, using the recoil as propulsion. She aimed her right fist low, likely thinking she was hitting a Boarbatusk's head.

"Aw, come on! Not the balls!"

The hit never came, as Cinder had pulled him back by the collar of his hoodie. The spot where he had been standing exploded in a shower of soil and dirt, and Jaune had to shield his eyes from the wind. He could feel Cinder leaving her spot beside him to jump into the fray.

Another hit came from Yang towards Jaune, but Cinder interrupted the attack, kicking Yang across the face. The kick sent Yang skidding across the ground for a few feet, but she recovered herself and dashed towards Jaune once again.

Cinder just stood between them, unperturbed. Yang aimed for the head, but Cinder caught her wrist. Yang's gauntlet shot out a round and Cinder removed her grip in order to avoid injury. But that one second of leeway proved to be Yang's undoing as Cinder grabbed Yang's other wrist. She twisted Yang's arm, spinning her in the air, and Yang retaliated by following the flow of the spin and landing on her feet.

"You are talented," Cinder cooed. "I'll give you that." Her hand, which was still holding Yang's wrist tightened, and she kicked Yang on her stomach, forcing the breath out of the blonde. Yang was shot back, wrist still in Cinder's hand. The vampire let go of Yang's wrist the moment Yang reached the top of her arc. Jaune winced as a loud snap rang across the imaginary forest. She had dislocated Yang's arm (or was that her shoulder?), ensuring that she wouldn't fight anymore without harming her too much.

"But you're just that," Cinder continued. "Talented."

Yang, however, stood up. Her right arm hung limply by her side, and Jaune could already see the bruise forming on the skin. Her form was engulfed by a small light for a second before the light blinked out of sight.

Her aura was gone. It seemed she was low on it to begin with, as most of it had been consumed by the dimension. Contrary to popular belief, aura does not actively protect a person. A person must focus their aura on a certain area to protect against damage. Extensive training would improve their defense to an instinctual level, giving off the impression that they were constantly shielded. Hence the phrase " _activate your aura"_.

Cinder realized Yang's lack of aura as well, seeing as she relaxed her posture. Someone without aura, and add a dislocated arm to the list, was of no threat to Cinder. However, if Yang continued to be hostile, there was a chance that she would hurt herself even further. Not to mention the impending threat of the dimension they were in sucking her aura dry.

Yang charged in blindly at Jaune, and Cinder disappeared from sight for a second, kicking off dust from the ground, before reappearing by Yang's side, showing a burst of speed that was at a whole other level than either Yang or Jaune. Yang swung her functioning arm, or flailed it, more like, as Cinder merely sidestepped out of the way.

The vampire twisted both of Yang's arms, even the injured one, behind her back, before pushing the blonde onto the ground face first, effectively immobilizing her. Yang let out a loud scream, of pain or frustration, Jaune did not know. Cinder looked at him, waiting for his part. She wasn't Yang's friend, and nor did she care of what happened to the blonde. No, Cinder would just kill the young woman and be done with it. But it was not up to her, was it?

Steeling herself, Jaune knelt down in front of Yang. "Yang?" he called. The blonde huntress in training just growled savagely.

"Stay away from her, you damn Grimm!"

Them? Grimm? Was she seeing them as Grimm? That would certainly explain her tenacity. Still, a mere Grimm wouldn't ignite such a reaction from her, at least from the little Jaune knew of her. So the real question was; who was _her_?

"Ruby, run!"

Ah, right. Ruby was Yang's sister. It had passed by his mind, partly because of how different they looked. But Ruby was fine, right? They had just seen Ruby a few hours ago. Did something happen to her in the past?

"Yang, it's me. Jaune," he said. His tone was much softer now, as opposed to the panicked one he had used before. However, she kept trashing under Cinder's grip, even as the pain from her dislocated arm gnawed on her. Cinder raised her head to look at Jaune, signifying that she had an idea. Not seeing any other option, Jaune nodded.

With no ceremony, Cinder crudely pulled Yang's dislocated arm back in place, and a loud pop sounded from it. Yang also stopped trashing in shock, giving them the window they needed.

"Yang, it's me. Jaune. Ruby is safe in Beacon," he said.

"R-Ruby is safe?"

"Yeah. She's with your team, remember?"

Yang didn't respond verbally, but she let her head fall down on the ground and let out a loud sniffle. It didn't turn to a sob, however. Yang just silently cried. She may have calmed down, but it was clear that her head was still in the clouds. And so, Jaune did the one thing he always did when his sisters were crying.

He put a hand on top of her head, and softly patted it.

"Dad?" Yang croaked.

"Um, no…" Jaune hesitated, but still patting Yang's head. "I'm not your dad."

"D-dad…"

He sighed. "I'm not your dad, Ya-

"Is mom coming back home?" Yang asked.

He froze. He truly didn't know what to say. He had only known Yang for a few hours now, and they never talked about their pasts. Normally, people who only just met wouldn't talk about their pasts anyway. Blake being the exception. It was a necessity at the time.

Cinder put a palm on Yang's head, as if to pat is as well, but she simply closed her eyes as her palm rested on Yang's hair. A few seconds later, she opened her eyes.

"I see," she simply said.

What? What did she see? Jaune was completely out of the loop here. Add to the fact that Cinder just used an ability that he didn't know vampires had. Just how wide was their range of abilities? They seemingly could do anything.

Cinder leaned in close to Yang, close to her ear, and then said, "Mom isn't coming home, dear," she said, and much to Jaune's surprise, the voice that came out of her mouth was not that of Cinder's, but of another woman's.

"M-mom?" Yang croaked, although she was coming close to a sob. "Is that you, mom?"

Cinder hesitated for a moment. "Yes."

"W-why aren't you coming home?" Yang asked.

"Because I am dead," Cinder answered.

Jaune just watched as Yang's silent cry turned to a sob. "B-but. You're here," she said.

Cinder's voice was affectionate, but her eyes told a different story. Cinder's amber eyes were that of a cold indifference, like she was doing this with methodical precision. As if she had gone through the motion several times. _Repetition_ , Jaune thought.

"You're just dreaming, honey," Cinder continued. "You need to wake up."

"I-I don't want to."

"But then who would take care of Ruby?" Cinder asked.

"R-Ruby?"

"Yes. Your dear sister."

"Ruby…" Yang said, with her voice stronger than before.

"Wake up, Yang. If not for you, then for your sister."

Yang took a deep breath, her hazed eyes turning clear for a moment, and then she unceremoniously fell asleep. Jaune blinked. That was the opposite effect of what they wanted. He looked at Cinder, asking for clarification.

"She's breathing," Cinder shrugged. "She'll wake up in a few minutes."

"What was that?" Jaune asked. "You acted as her mother. And that voice…"

"Not someone you'd know," Cinder said.

"But it's someone you know?"

Cinder looked to the side, the unconscious Yang laying between him and Cinder. "I don't exactly know her, but I did look a bit into her memories."

"Vampires can read through memories?"

"Not read," Cinder shook her head. "Just get a glimpse of what the person was currently thinking, and the memories attached to such thoughts. Changing my voice is an easy matter. If I can change my appearance at will, a different voice is a simple task in comparison."

Right. Jaune knew that vampires can shapeshift, but changing one's voice and taking a glimpse into a person's head by touching their heads? This was new. A part of him wondered just how many things Cinder would have taught him if he had accepted her offer back then. But that was then, and this was now.

"But why do this?" he asked.

Cinder was silent for a moment, but her eyes soon met Jaune. "Because one must always hold responsibility for their actions."

Responsibility? The answer gnawed at Jaune's heart for a moment, especially when the realization hit him.

"Her mother's not coming back, because you made sure of it, didn't you? You recognize her mother when you took a glimpse into her memories."

Cinder only sighed tiredly. Whatever gesture she was showing was not out of regret, however. "If it makes you feel better, it was out of self-defense. She was one of the many huntress that hunted after me. The name Cinder Fall has quite the large bounty. When I appear, it is expected for huntsmen and huntresses, especially specialists, to hunt me down."

"What were you doing that warranted such attention?" Jaune asked.

Cinder shrugged. "I merely wanted to enjoy Forever Fall."

Jaune would've laughed at how foolish everything was, but the situation was too morbid. Cinder had no reason to lie to him. Here he was, with the daughter of one of Cinder's victim, out of self-defense, he might add. Her presence alone made specialists shiver, save for the fearless ones.

"So what was so special about Yang's mother that you remembered her so?"

"She had charged at me without fear, rushing in to fight without thinking of the consequences. Foolish woman. Such self-destructive tendencies will only hurt those close to you. Even being a silver-eyed warrior, it did not change the fact that she was mortal," Cinder said. Her eyes landed on Jaune, to which he was aware of. It sounded so familiar, didn't it? Rushing in to save the day without thinking of the consequences – without thinking of one self. To save others, but not letting others save themselves. It was selfishly selfless – an oxymoron, but one that was all too true.

It was an oxymoron that described Jaune Arc perfectly. After all, the chain of events that led to his place here would never happen had ne never saved Cinder. A vampire. A devourer of men and faunus. Why did he save Cinder? Because it was the right thing to do. Was it? Saving a vampire would lead to the deaths of hundreds of people. Was the morally right thing to do truly the right thing, if it led to hundreds of wrong?

His eyes went back to Yang. Her mother was a hero by public standards. Someone who had sacrificed her life for the good cause. A huntress, a specialist, even. But to Yang, she wasn't a hero. Just a mother who failed to come home to her children.

"I take it you've done this quite a few times?" Jaune asked, alluding to Cinder comforting Yang.

"She is simply one of many that I've encountered," Cinder answered. "I did this not out of moral obligation. It was simply expected, and certainly a gesture that was beneficial to our situation."

That was true. Although one thought lingered within Jaune's mind.

"What happened to her?"

Cinder eyed him coldly, as if she was calling him an idiot with those amber eyes. "This was twelve to thirteen years ago, Master. What do you think happened?"

This was Cinder years before she met him. A different Cinder than she was now. Of course, he already knew what happened to Yang's mom when Cinder mentioned her. He only denied it, because it was too harsh of a reality.

"You devoured her."

It was a simple answer, and also a very simple truth. No conspiracy as to where she went, or a theory as to her whereabouts. It was a simple and brutal death. Jaune wanted to say something, but he knew that it would all be for naught. It was all in the past, and the past was not something one could change.

"Unnhh…"

Jaune roused himself from his thoughts as he heard Yang wake up. He positioned a hand behind her back to steady her into a sitting position.

"W-where am I?" Yang asked.

Jaune chuckled. "It's a long story."

* * *

"Yang!" Ruby called. "Yang!"

The three members of Team RWBY were standing by the ledge where the air apparition had appeared. And judging by the shimmering air, it was still in place. Ruby was standing in front of it calling out to her sister, acting as Yang's "anchor".

Lie Ren's advice was to take the moral in a literal way. Blake was uncertain, but the nature of aberrant and oddities are a mystery, even from what she read from Jaune's book. Besides, this was the only hope they had left. Nothing was more important to Yang than Ruby. If the Ruby called out to Yang, the older sister will appear. That was just how it was with the two.

Weiss sighed. "We've been at it for nearly an hour, Blake."

Of course, not all siblings cherish their relationship. But Weiss was right. They've been there for nearly an hour with no visible progress.

"Ruby," Blake called out. "Maybe you need to go over the air barrier."

"W-what?" Ruby stammered. "Over that thing?"

"Don't worry. Weiss and I will go with you."

Weiss was about to protest, but Blake pulled the heiress' sleeve, preventing her from voicing her opinions. The three of them entered through the air barrier, hand in hand with eyes closed. When they opened them, they were over the barrier, and in front of them, the shimmering air spot that strangely looked like hole.

"Yang!" Ruby called out again. This time, Blake joined in.

"Yang! Can you hear us?" Blake called out. Weiss let out a sigh, but took a few deep breaths and began to join her two teammates.

"Yang Xiao Long!" she yelled out. "If you don't come out, I'll force you to do all of our homework!"

"Yeah!" Ruby agreed. "You hear that, Yang? You're gonna do our homework!"

Blake couldn't help but smile at her teammates. They were new at this, and her revelation had put a small roadblock on their relationship. But they would prevail, as cliché as it sounded.

This was her team. Team RWBY.

* * *

"So, uh… How do we get out of here?" Jaune asked Cinder.

"I'm guessing that we could jump up there and hope that Torchwick is still there," Cinder answered.

"What? Why would he not be there?"

"He gave us half an hour to sort out our problem."

"W-what!? Why didn't you tell me!?" Jaune asked, panicking.

Cinder shrugged. "Honestly, we have more than enough time left. The cat faunus' friend was pretty underwhelming to fight against."

Yang growled from her sitting position, still tired from her lack of aura and the pain of having her arm dislocated. "I'm still here, you know?"

Jaune had filled Yang in on where they were and what happened. Of course, he omitted any details regarding how they shook Yang out of her stupor and the fate of her mother. Roman Torchwick's presence was also something that Jaune had Yang know, as he didn't want the huntress in training to be surprised when they meet the known criminal.

Of course, Yang had been hard-pressed on believing the supernatural things, and she had initially denied Cinder being a vampire, as well as his own vampirism. And yet, she readily believed that they were within a sentient pocket dimension? It was odd that the strangest thing at hand was the most acceptable to her. Mentioning Blake had helped her believe them, though.

"It is decided, then," Cinder spoke with finality. "We jump up there. You'll carry the cat faunus' friend, Master."

"I have a name, you know," Yang spoke up.

"And it's a name I could care less of remembering," Cinder said without even looking at Yang. "Come now. Time is ticking."

Jaune hoisted up Yang within his arms bridal style, as she had trouble standing up, and Jaune had to stifle a blush at their position. Yang grinned at him, seemingly forgetting her quarrel with Cinder.

"Oh, wow," she grinned. "You're pretty built, Devil-Boy."

And she had conjured up a nickname for him… Lucky him… And also, just his luck that he was only wearing his hoodie without any other layer of clothes. She could probably feel his abs through the Pumpkin Pete's hoodie.

"I thought you're more interested in girls?" Jaune shot back.

"Doesn't mean I can't appreciate a fine specimen, Devil-Boy," she chuckled.

Jaune tried his hardest to ignore the developed pair of breasts that he swore Yang was purposefully pressing up against his torso. Damn her! This wasn't the time for her teasing! He narrowed his eyes at Yang, but the blonde brawler only averted her eyes innocently.

"Are you ready for the jump?" Cinder asked, cutting off Jaune's thoughts from going any further.

"Yeah," he answered, ensuring that Yang was secure within his grip. "Let's go."

The jump was easy enough for both Cinder and Jaune, and Yang could probably do it herself had she had the aura. After just a few meters off the ground, the scenery around them changed to that of a familiar sky full of rainbow swirls. The two vampires landed on the floating pathway in front of them, and soon heard a slow clap from the side.

"Well done," Roman continued clapping. "You're just short five minutes of me abandoning you to your fates."

"Real professional of you," Jaune deadpanned.

"Oh, but it is," Roman countered. "After all, you're merely a side job to my main objective here."

That shut Jaune up. Compared to whatever job Roman was initially here for, Jaune and Cinder had merely promised him two favors, as opposed to a wad of Liens. For the known thief, it was obvious which one he would prioritize.

"You still have one last task of helping us out of here," Cinder said, crossing her arms.

Roman smiled. "That will take care of itself, Ms. Fall."

 ** _Yang!_**

 ** _Can you hear us, Yang!?_**

 ** _Answer us, you dolt!_**

Jaune looked up in wonder at the sky. Was that her team? How had they reached here? And why were their voices coming out of the sky?

"It seems your ride home is here," Roman said. "Oh well, it is time for you to buzz off. I still have a job to finish, after all."

"How are you going to do that?" Jaune asked.

"Oh, not me," Roman shook his head. "Neo. Escort them back, and be quick about it."

The small tri-colored girl nodded with a smile on her face. She extended both of her hands at Cinder and Jaune, with her umbrella hanging off one of her arms. Jaune who was still carrying Yang bridal style could not reach out for Neo's hand, so Yang was the one who gripped the smaller hand.

Satisfied with the compromise, Neo's eyes glowed for a second before their surrounding shattered like glass, and Roman was gone from their sight. Jaune was startled for a moment, before he realized that they were standing on one of the many floating paths within the dimension. The only difference being that this path had an end, and on that end, was a familiar shimmering air spot.

Neo let go of Yang and Cinder's hands before shattering out of existence, most likely going back to Roman's side. Was this how they got around in this place? By teleporting from place to place? Jaune didn't know for sure, as he simply wanted to crash down into his soft bed and be done with the day.

 ** _Can you hear us, Yang!_**

 ** _Yang!_**

The voice of Team RWBY rang from the shimmering hole, and Yang couldn't help but let out a small smile.

"That's my team, all right," she chuckled.

A part of Jaune wondered on what kind of team he would be in if he had entered Beacon. Wishful thinking at best, and Jaune knew that. But a little daydream wouldn't hurt anyone. Would he have a team similar to that of Yang's? He hoped so. But if he had entered, would he ever have met Whitley? Blake? He might be closer in vicinity to Blake, but he would probably be another face in the crowd.

In the end, thinking of what could've been would only bring unnecessary heartache. If he was going to cry over something, then cry over the present, right? Jaune looked back at the sky with rainbow swirls, as well as the various air shimmers in the air, signifying the many memories of people past. They had been lured here and had their aura devoured. A tragic end, but an end that was ultimately their fault, as cruel as it sounded.

The key had been to walk away and move on – a very simple solution, but a very hard one to do. And sometimes, you may need the help of someone in order to move on. Cinder had done just that in the fake City of Vale, even if unknowingly. Had Yang moved on from whatever incident plagued her past? He didn't know. But being reminded of the present had shaken her from her stupor. And maybe that was enough for now.

And so, with Yang in arm and Cinder in tow, Jaune went back to Remnant, the past being nothing but bad memories.

* * *

"You're going back to Vale?"

Jaune looked back from his position on the landing pad and saw Blake. It wasn't that early, but knowing that it was a Sunday, most people wouldn't wake up first thing in the morning. Jaune had, though. He had a bullhead to catch, after all.

After reuniting with Team RWBY the night before, Jaune had no place to bunk, especially as the bullhead services had closed for the night. When they had returned to Remnant, it was close to midnight. It hadn't felt that long within the dimension, but Jaune guessed that it worked on a different time scale than Remnant.

Jaune had returned back to mostly being human by biting Cinder's neck. With her form back to being a child, she promptly returned to his shadow, now that they were out of that dimension. The sight had left Team RWBY speechless, which led to a long explanation from Jaune on the matter.

Yang just had to point out that he manages his vampire traits by giving Cinder a hickey and vice versa. The worst part was that he had no counter to Yang's statement.

Still, back on topic. He had no place to bunk.

And so, with great reluctance from Jaune, Team RWBY (disregarding Weiss' lack of consent on the matter), gave him a sleeping bag to sleep on the floor of their room. Jaune hadn't been too sure of having what was essentially a sleepover with girls, but it had worked out. Weiss had been glaring at him with distrust throughout the night, and he could understand the sentiment, really. Didn't mean it was a welcome gesture.

Just before sleeping in, Blake had returned his book to him. He had been so happy that the book wasn't lost, as it would've been a huge blow to him, knowing how old and useful the book was. Not to mention that if someone like Qrow could keep the book safe, then he had no reason to fail at it.

Yang had also told her team her story, and why she had been dragged in to the pocket dimension. Of course, with Jaune in the room, it meant he was also dragged in into story time. The story of Yang and little Ruby trekking through Grimm-infested forest looking for Yang's birth mother was a hard one to listen to. He had to let out a breath of relief to hear that their uncle had saved them from the ordeal. Jaune wondered what Yang and Ruby's uncle was like, as he seemed like a cool guy. Unfortunately, Yang hadn't named the man in her story, and Jaune forgot to ask her that. Again, Jaune had to wonder on how Blake, and now Yang, could just pour out their past like that. Once again, he couldn't help but feel a little jealous.

Still, back to the moment at hand. Blake was standing behind him, most likely to greet him off. Jaune answered, "Yeah. Thanks for allowing me to sleep with your team."

Blake raised an eyebrow.

Jaune sighed. "You really like taking what I said off-context, don't you?"

"Only because you always provide the opportunity," Blake smiled.

"You and your innuendos," Jaune chuckled. "Your books are certainly a bad influence on you."

"My books are a form of art," Blake countered, to which Jaune rolled his eyes.

"Sure, Blake."

"Hm. Persistent," Blake put a hand under her chin, acting like a strategist thinking of a way of overcoming a great wall. "When are you working at Tukson's?"

"Next Wednesday and next Saturday. Why?"

"So that I'll know when to visit," she said. "How about next Saturday? Your lunch break should suffice."

"Are you asking me out on a date?"

Blake shrugged. "Call it what you want. We're just going on lunch."

"You're going to convince me to read your books, aren't you?"

"Ah, what makes you think that? You should know that I do owe you a favor after you helped me. I don't like being indebted to anyone."

"You're paying me back by trying to convince me to read your books?" Jaune asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Does everything have to relate to my books?"

"Well, you just seem so fond of it."

"I am fond of it."

"You seem overly fond of it."

"And what of it?"

"Most people wouldn't be so open about their smu-

"Art."

"About their… art."

"So," Blake said. "How about next Saturday?"

"Well, I wouldn't mind a short lunch," Jaune said, scratching his head. "Still, wouldn't you want to spend your Saturday with your team?"

"I spend enough time with them for seven days of the week," Blake deadpanned. "I think I deserve some break from them. Besides, there's something I need to talk with you about."

"And you can't talk to me about it now?"

She shrugged. "It can wait."

"Really?" Jaune asked. "So it's not that urgent?"

"I wouldn't call it urgent, but it's certainly important."

Important, but not urgent? Jaune's mind was whirling as to what she wanted to talk about. Well, he guessed that he had to wait for next Saturday, then.

"Oh, and Jaune."

"Yeah?" Jaune answered.

"I saw the way you looked at Yang when she was telling her story," Blake said. "You looked jealous, and confused."

Jaune scratched his head. "Was I that obvious?"

"I can't speak for the others," Blake tilted her head. "But it was obvious enough for me."

"She made it seem so easy… Pouring herself out like that," Jaune said, looking to the side.

Blake was silent for a moment, but then stepped closer to Jaune, their bodies only a few inches from each other. "You want to know my thoughts on it?"

"Sure," Jaune said, not seeing the harm in it.

"Memories, even bad ones, will only be stories once they're told."

Jaune didn't know what to think just yet about Blake's answer, and probably not for a long time, but he understood the gist of it. It was his personal feelings on the matter that was holding him back.

"I'll think about it," Jaune answered simply. "See you next Saturday, then?"

"Sure," Blake nodded. "I'll call you if anything changes."

Oh, right. He had Blake's scroll number and vice versa. He had almost forgotten about it, as the only people within his contact list was Whitley, his family, and Tukson. Not an impressive list, to be honest. But now Blake was in it.

Was it wrong for him to feel a little giddy that a girl had asked him to lunch with her?

Nah. Cut him some slack. This was the most mundane, but extraordinary thing that happened to him in months. Let him enjoy this, damn it.

The trip back to Vale felt really long, and not only because he was constantly vomiting into a plastic bag. He just couldn't wait for next Saturday to arrive.

* * *

"Ozpin."

Professor Ozpin, headmaster of Beacon Academy, looked up from his desk at Glynda Goodwitch, his most trusted personnel within Beacon.

"Glynda," he nodded.

"Jaune Arc has left the campus area to go back to Vale," Glynda said. "Are you sure of not questioning him about the incident last night?"

"Well, he and Ms. Fall certainly took care of the problem just fine, didn't they?" Ozpin asked, folding his hands in front of him.

"With the help of Torchwick, I might add," Glynda said, adjusting her glasses as her eyes narrowed at the mention of the criminal.

"Well," Ozpin shrugged. "He did say so in his report. Roman also performed the job I assigned him without too much hassle."

"Still, sir," Glynda walked closer to his desk. "Are you still adamant about recruiting them to our circle?"

Ozpin took a sip of his coffee before turning back to his staff. "Glynda, we currently have three vampires in Vale. Ms. Fall is a powerful figure, and Mr. Arc holds her leash. Mr. Schnee is powerful in his status, and not to mention the White Fang massacre by his hand near the borders of Vale that crippled their operation, giving us more time for a counter strategy."

"They sound like trouble to me, sir."

"They have potential, Glynda," Ozpin smiled. "Trust me on this. Having vampires on our side will be a large boon for our cause."

"We are still dealing with vampires, Ozpin," she said. "You of all people know what they are capable of."

"And it is because of it that I'm willing to take the risk, Glynda. Vampires, flesh-eating monster, forces of nature, dragons. They've been called by many names. But it's their lesser known name that interests me."

Glynda folded her hands behind her. "You still think they're connected?"

"I do," Ozpin said with conviction. "Even if only a select few call them by that name, it's still a very important name."

Glynda sighed. "Vampires, _Children of Salem_."

"Correct," Ozpin nodded, giving the female professor a small smile. "And a mystery unsolved is just a mystery waiting to be solved. And what better way to solve that mystery than by having them close to us?"

* * *

 **A bit odd that an arc that has Yang in the title focuses so much on Cinder, eh? Well, that's the twist, or rather, the punchline. So now the second arc is over with four parts. Not all arcs will be this long. Some may even be longer, but most will be concluded in three to four parts. I know that most of you like to be surprised, but I'd like to give the outline of what I dub as "First Season", at least to show that I do have a plan. These set of arcs will serve as the introduction to the AU world, as well as to Jaune, Team RWBY, and Team RPN.**

 ** _Blake Ghost_** **(which was the prologue arc)**

 ** _Yang Past_**

 ** _Ruby Lamb_**

 ** _Nora Butterfly_**

 ** _Weiss Koloss_**

 ** _Pyrrha Devil_** **(the arc I consider to be the season finale)**

 ** _Whitley Drachen_** **(the first flashback arc, and the intermission to the next season)**

 **Some of you may have a fair idea as to what the next arcs contain after this arc. I'm not going to confirm your suspicions, as that would delve into spoiler territory. Nevertheless, I do have the story outlined for this "First Season", as well as its intermission.**

 **Don't forget to follow, favorite, and review! I'm looking forward to reading your thoughts on this chapter, as well as my plan. Heck, suggest me stuffs. I don't cater to people's requests, but I do listen to suggestions. Oh, and Merry Christmas for those celebrating! And Happy New Year!**

* * *

 **TEASER FOR THE NEXT ARC: _Ruby Lamb, Part 1_**

"You've got nice solid childbearing hips, so you're sure to have healthy babies."

"That's not something a woman should say to a man, Blake…"


	8. Chapter 8: Ruby Lamb, Part 1

**The Intersection(s) at Vale**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY or any of its characters. I'm just playing around with Rooster Teeth's property.**

* * *

 **in·ter·sec·tion**

 **in(t)ərˈsekSH(ə)n**

 _ **noun**_

 _a point or line common to lines or surfaces that intersect._

 _ **"the intersection of a plane and a cone"**_

 _a point at which two or more things intersect, especially roads._

 _ **"red and green lights at the nearby intersection"**_

 _an action of intersecting._

 _ **"his course is on a direct intersection with ours"**_

* * *

 _Ruby Lamb, Part 1_

"Welcome!" Jaune automatically greeted the newest customer that had arrived through the door. His work expression dropped to a more genuine one when he realized who had arrived. "Blake?"

"Hello, Jaune," she greeted back.

"Oh, it's Saturday already?"

Blake looked at him incredulously. "You're currently behind the counter. So it's either a Wednesday or a Saturday, and I'm pretty sure that I have a day off classes today."

Huh. Time sure flew fast. When did the days go by so fast? It was like he had experienced some sort of timeskip. Was the writer too lazy to write the week in between? Was his life not interesting enough on its own? Wasn't this a slice-of-life story?

"Jaune?" Blake called his name, cutting him off from his overactive imagination.

He answered, "Yeah?"

"I asked when your lunch break is."

Ah, right. They were supposed to go together for lunch, right? Blake had something to talk about. He was still not sure as to what she wanted to talk about. She also mentioned that he could call it a date if he wanted. Would this count as his first date? Well, allow a young man to indulge in himself. If she didn't mind him calling it a date, the he would do it.

Jaune looked at his watch. "It's actually in about half an hour."

"Great," Blake gave a small smile. "I'll look around for a while, then."

"Help yourself," Jaune nodded.

Tukson emerged from the back room with a sigh, and stopped when he caught sight of Blake rummaging through a book shelf. He looked at Jaune for answer. "What's she doing here?" Tukson asked.

Jaune raised an eyebrow. "Uh, she's browsing through our collection?"

"I mean does she have a particular reason for coming here today of all days?"

Jaune's eyebrow rose higher. Tukson looked nervous for some reason, which was highly unusual for the usually unflappable faunus. "She's waiting for my lunch break. She's taking me out to lunch."

Tukson blinked. "Is that it?"

Jaune blinked back. "Should there be more?"

"Uh, no, it's fine. Forget I said anything," Tukson hurriedly said. "In fact, why don't you take an early break? You deserve it."

Huh? It wasn't like Tukson was a slave driver, but he never let Jaune off the hook for not being on time, much less himself. His lunch break had always been on time on the dot. Heck, he had even gotten an earful for not calling in sick last Saturday. It was too bad that pocket dimensions don't have CCT service.

"What's the occasion?" Jaune asked.

"Does it need an occasion?" Tukson asked back, visibly frustrated.

Yes. An occasion was necessary for Jaune to make sense of the situation. Tukson was acting highly out of character, which was quite a feat for a character that was barely characterized in the source material.

Ah, right. Lunch break. He stopped his mind from going overdrive on imagining things. Whitley complained about it a lot on how most of the things he said when rambling didn't make sense. Still, Jaune promptly went back to his locker to take his hoodie and putting it over his checkered shirt.

"Come on, Blake," he called out to the cat faunus as he walked out of the back room, who was looking at a cover of a book over at the romance section.

"Has it been half an hour?" she asked.

"Tukson gave me an early break."

"Ah," she intoned. "What's the occasion?"

Funny that she should ask that.

"Dunno," he shrugged. "But let's get out of here. I know a nice place."

* * *

"No, Jaune. You're not getting free coffee."

"Come on, Whitley! You gave me a cup that one time."

"Yeah. It was a one-time thing," Whitley sighed. "I got an earful for that, and I'd rather not get another one."

Jaune sighed, leaning back on his seat. "Oh, well. It was worth a try."

Whitley's eyes roamed over to Blake. "I do hope he's not going to lump the bill on you, Miss…"

"Blake. Blake Belladona," she introduced herself. "You must be Whitley Schnee. Jaune told me quite a few things about you."

"Good things, I hope?"

"Nothing but praises from him."

Whitley let out a small melodic laugh. "Of course. So what will it be?" he asked, preparing his scroll to list their orders.

"Tuna sandwich and black tea for me," Blake said.

"I'll have some egg sandwich and coffee with cream," Jaune said.

"All right, then," Whitley typed down their orders. "I'll return with your orders soon enough."

As Whitley disappeared behind the counter, Blake looked over at Jaune. "He seems nice enough, for a Schnee."

"They get enough of a bad rep. They're not all bad. His oldest sister isn't that bad either. All people have their work faces, Blake. It's the same for me."

Blake looked unsurely at Jaune. "Does he know about…" she trailed off.

"No. He doesn't know about you being a faunus and a former member of the White Fang," Jaune confimed. "Bad memories about both of them."

"Of course," Blake looked to the side, glad that Jaune was kind enough to keep it between them. Blake tilted her head, asking, "How is he outside of work, though?"

Jaune let out a laugh. "Blunt, scathing, but thoughtful at the same time. He's not that nice all the time, but he's a good person."

Whitley was like a pencil. It looks dull and unassuming, but stab someone with it, and it would prove surprisingly effective. He could vouch for that. The pencil, that is.

"Weiss doesn't seem to agree on that."

Jaune sighed, looking around the café. Surprisingly, it was quite empty for a Saturday. "And Whitley doesn't seem eager on disproving that either. He avoids Beacon like a plague."

"Quite disheartening to hear," Blake said. "But I'm not here to talk about Weiss and her brother."

"Right," Jaune nodded. "You said that it was something important?"

"Its importance is highly subjective," Blake leaned on her hand. "I may see it as something important, but you may not see eye to eye with me."

"What do you mean?"

"Do you remember what I said about my debt to you, and how I hate being indebted to someone?"

Jaune nodded. "I do."

Where was she going with this? Okay, he could understand her sentiment on the matter. Blake felt she owed him something after helping her. And although Jaune would rather have her drop the matter, he had the feeling that the faunus was stubborn as a mule.

"So I'll propose this," Blake said. "I'll grant you one request. Anything."

W-what?

For real?

No, wait! She would grant him anything? That sounded rather risky. What if he asked for something risqué?

"Did you hear me?" Blake continued. "I said anything."

 _No need to hammer the point!_

"Y-you're not serious, are you?" Jaune laughed uneasily. "Anything?"

Blake leaned forward, eyes half-lidded. "Anything."

Jaune visibly gulped, and Blake looked pleased at what she saw.

 _She said anything…_

"Uh, no, wait!" Jaune held a hand up.

"What is it?" Blake asked, actually looking annoyed.

What the hell? Was she really looking forward to his request? She did know that he was still a hormonal teenager, and that she was a beautiful girl, right? Putting the two together, there were a few things that were certainly going through the mind of a hormonally driven healthy male teenager.

"W-wait! I'm still surprised by this," Jaune said.

"It's not a hard question, Jaune," she pressed on. "Ask for anything. Eternal life, conquest over the world. I have the power."

Wait, what?

Jaune looked at Blake's face, which was sporting a small playful smirk. _Oh, so that's how she's going to play it, huh?_

Jaune held up a hand to his forehead with flair. "I wish to transcend to my next form! A form that would triumph over all of my enemies!" he said.

"So be it. What color do you want it to be? Yellow, blue, or rose-colored?"

 _Hrrk. Perfectly countered!_

"Or perhaps you want a more grounded request fulfilled?" Blake continued. "I could wake you up during the weekend with nothing but an apron."

 _HRRK! Down, Lil' Jaune, lest you be the drill that pierces the heavens!_

"Did you get that from one of your books?" Jaune asked uneasily.

She simply let out a small laugh, the sound similar to that of a melodious chime. "Perhaps," she leaned on her hands. "I can shower you with praises if you want."

Jaune raised an eyebrow in interest. "Shoot, then," he said.

"You've got nice solid childbearing hips, so you're sure to have healthy babies."

"That's not something a woman should say to a man, Blake…"

"Ah, you're a man?" Blake faux-gasped. "Let me rephrase it, then."

 _This chick…_

"You've got nice solid childbearing abs, so you're sure to have healthy babies."

"First of all, you only changed a single word! Secondly, that doesn't even physically make sense!"

"Life finds a way, Jaune."

"Well, it is certainly going the wrong way!"

Blake smiled, before letting out another small laugh. "You're really fun to talk to."

"I am?"

Him? Fun to talk to? Well that was new. It wasn't like Jaune thought he couldn't hold a decent conversation, but he wouldn't exactly call conversations as something inherently fun.

"You are," Blake said. "It's been a long time since I've had quite the fun banter."

"What's wrong with other people?" Jaune asked.

"Well, in case you haven't noticed, the White Fang don't exactly hang around in cafes just talking the minutes away. And you've met my team."

Right… If this was Blake's brand of humor – as in, rapid-fire conversations, then it would only annoy Weiss, fly over Ruby's head, or earn horrible puns from Yang as a response.

"Is that why you're normally so reserved?"

Blake shrugged. "Some people just can't detect sarcasm. And even if they do, they rarely respond with a comeback."

He always responded with a comeback, didn't he? They weren't exactly smart ones, but he always had something to say to a situation. What's that? Some would find that annoying? Maybe so, but Blake seemed to be enjoying his replies.

"Still, why did you start with me?" Jaune asked.

"You're a natural straight-man," Blake smiled.

Jaune huffed. "You're comparing me to a stock character used in comedy performances?"

"It fits," she shrugged. "People usually take my responses seriously, especially with _how_ I usually respond. You know when I'm not being serious, even back when I first came to your apartment."

"Well, you pick some things up when you live with as many sisters as mine."

"How about making this a routine, then?" Blake offered. "Every Saturday during your lunch break?"

"I don't mind," Jaune leaned on his seat. "It's nice to have someone to talk to during breaks."

"It's settled then," she smiled.

Wait. Settled? Conversation was over? Didn't she promise him something? Jaune Arc was a man of his words (mostly), and he expected other people (those he knew anyway) to keep theirs as well.

"Hey, wait a minute!" Jaune suddenly said. "Why are you the one making a request? What about the one you offered me?"

"Ah, right. I almost forgot. Thanks for reminding me," Blake said. "Tch… he noticed."

"What?"

"Nothing."

"Well, it's nice to see that you two are getting along," Whitley said.

Jaune and Blake looked at the Schnee in confusion, before remembering that they were in a café waiting for their orders to arrive. Jaune looked at his watch, realizing that he and Blake had spent only ten minutes just bantering with one another. He honestly felt like it took longer.

"Your orders," Whitley said, putting their sandwiches and respective beverages in front of them.

Jaune reached for his wallet. "I'll pay for it."

"Jaune!" Blake hissed. "I didn't ask you to."

Jaune smiled sheepishly as he pulled out the necessary amount of Lien cards. "I count this as my first date, even if it's a friend-date. Humor me, Blake."

Whitley counted the Lien cards from Jaune before nodding off towards his position by the counter, sensing the atmosphere between his friend and the Beacon student. He wasn't going to get involved in other people's relationship. If it became messy, he'd be an awkward mediator. If it worked out, he'd be an awkward third wheel. There was no middle ground for it.

Blake looked to the side, before taking a sip from her tea. "You know," she said. "This is actually my first date as well."

"Huh?" Jaune blinked in surprise. "Really?"

"I mean, I've been in a relationship. But never on dates."

"No time for that in the White Fang?"

"….."

"A-ah… Sorry," Jaune rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "That was insensitive of me."

"I guess it was more a case of the heat in the moment," Blake shrugged. "People get closer when their lives are on the line."

"So you hang out with me because you crave… normalcy?" Jaune asked, sipping his coffee.

Blake took a bite of her tuna sandwich. "I suppose? I never really thought about it, but I guess so."

"You know, I'm not exactly a normal civilian," Jaune said, referring to his condition.

"It's a quirk I'll have to live with, then," Blake responded. "Still, can you really blame me for seeking a safer option?"

Not really. He couldn't really blame her. The White Fang clearly hadn't worked for her, and while she was happy with her team, her normal was pretty abnormal for him and vice versa. To her, his normalcy was an uncharted territory. But uncharted as it was, it was probably safer compared to what she had.

Well, knowing what he was, Jaune wasn't exactly sure of the safe part. He took a bite out of his egg sandwich, savoring the familiar taste. Jaune thought for a moment. What did he feel about Blake?

Well, he could certainly call her a friend. He could say the same about Yang and Ruby. They were certainly friends. Weiss? She was still a work in progress. Still, what made Blake different than her teammates? Was it the fact that he had helped her with her supernatural problem? He could say the same for Yang, really. So what made her different? Her sarcastic comments and playful verbal abuse?

Now, then. That didn't mean that Jaune Arc was a masochist. No, sir. To him, it was just clear as day that her verbal abuses were done in fun, and that they were harmless. Ironic, as Whitley had called him hopelessly dense multiple times. Well, he can't be dense at everything, right?

Sarcastic humor was something Jaune had done himself quite often, especially when dealing with his sisters. Maybe he did it more often than he thought, as his automatic response when dealing with Blake's jabs was to deliver one of his own – playing along with it, really. Talking to Blake was like talking to one of his sisters, especially the older ones.

Was that bad?

He personally thought comparing people based on their aspects was rather impolite. After all, how can you compare such a complex thing like people? Character tropes don't apply to the real world. This wasn't fiction. Just because Blake was quiet, didn't mean she was shy. Her comments were scathing, blunt, and sometimes, rather naughty.

People are inconsistent. What people perceive them to be may not align with what they really are. To lump Blake or other people into a certain archetype was a highly ineffective way of understanding them. People can't just be dropped into an existing slot with a label on it, or describe them with a single word. It simplifies them. If people are simple, then why should he be interested in them? There is nothing worth discovering in simple things.

Ah, he had gotten into a rather long tangent. Now that he thought about it, their conversation alone could probably fill in six pages in a story. And they still had time until his break was over. What a wonder…

He took another bite from his sandwich. "If you're really serious about paying me back, then let me think about it."

"Well," Blake sipped her tea. "I suppose I can live with that."

"You're not worried about what I'd ask you for?"

Blake tilted her head. "Perhaps a bit. I usually hate surprises, but I'm willing to be surprised for this."

He didn't know what to say to that. Did that mean she fully trusted him with this? Someone she had only gotten to know for little more than a week? Even Jaune, the self-destructive white knight that he was, knew that such trust was dangerous to place on just about anyone.

He took a bite from his sandwich. And another. So did Blake, who like him, wordlessly finished her meal and beverage. They didn't speak another word for the rest of the meal – merely enjoying each other's company. Or in Jaune's case, stuck in his internal thoughts on the matter.

* * *

Having finished their meal, Jaune realised that he still had a handful of time before his break was over. Tukson giving him an early break had really given them more time than they needed for lunch. Jaune then offered Blake a quick tour on the area surrounding the book shop, as she mentioned to have been from outside Vale.

Of course, Jaune just had to lead Blake to a pastry shop. She said she wanted to bring something back to her dorm. Fair enough. No problem. None at all.

Well, it became a problem when Cinder decided to burst out of his shadow unannounced. Thankfully, there weren't anyone else in the shop at that time, and the woman behind the counter was too busy staring at the walls out of boredom.

"Here I am!" Cinder shouted with child-like glee – befitting of her current form – as she burst out of Jaune's shadow, one arm thrust out as if she was flying like a superhero.

"Gah!" Jaune yelped at the sudden presence. "Aren't you supposed to be asleep at this time?"

Cinder scoffed, puffing her chest out. "And miss this opportunity? Of course not! After all, you promised me two boxes of cream puffs."

"Do you really think I have the Lien to buy those right now?" Jaune asked.

"Yes you do," Cinder crossed her arms petulantly. "I peeked into your wallet back in that café."

 _This brat…_

"So you must be Cinder, huh?" Blake cut in. "Jaune doesn't talk much about you."

"Unfortunately, I can't say the same about you, Black," Cinder crossed her arms.

"My name is Blake."

"That's what I said."

Still, disregarding the butchering of her name, Blake couldn't help but raise an eyebrow as she looked at Jaune, who Cinder had just said couldn't stop talking about her. She supposed she felt a little flattered at the thought. Cinder then skipped to the counter, eyeing the assortment of pastries being displayed. It seemed that the little vampire could care less about getting to know her. Well, Blake didn't really mind that, and Jaune didn't seem to either.

Cinder gasped as she pressed her face against the display glass, her eyes shining. "Look, Master! Raspberry fillings! The taste simply melts in your mouth! Oh, is that strawberry cheesecake I see? They even have marshmallow ones! Ah! Bailey's cream puffs! Liquor and dessert mixed together! Frozen White! Such an exquisite invention! Human ingenuity never ceases to amaze me over the years!"

"Is she always like that?" Blake asked Jaune, to which the boy just shrugged helplessly.

"Master! Let's buy all of them!"

Jaune put his foot down. "No!"

Cinder gasped with eyes distraught and mouth hanging open as if a tragedy had befallen her. "B-but, you promised!"

"I only promised on the double chocolate and pumpkin fillings," Jaune crossed his arm. "Two flavors are all you're getting today!"

"Belle!" Cinder turned to the cat faunus, pointing a finger at Jaune. "He's being mean!"

"My name is Blake…"

"That's what I said!" the vampire whined. She was about to continue on her whining and throw a tantrum when Jaune put a hand on top of her head, patting it and running his hand through Cinder's soft hair.

The child vampire was silent for a moment before she erupted into a fit of giggles as the speed of Jaune's patting increased. As Cinder continued to giggle and lean into Jaune's hand, the teenage boy had an easy smile on his face, signifying how often this happened between the two.

"Sorry," Jaune said. "But only two flavors for today. We'll mix up the flavors when we go here again in the future."

Cinder harrumphed, "Fine. I'll hold you to that."

Seeing the exchange, Blake couldn't help but feel a little self-conscious. In a way, they were out on their own little world, and Blake knew that it was a world which she would have a hard time of getting into – perhaps never at all.

With Cinder calmed down, her cream puffs bought, and Blake buying what she needed, it was time for Jaune to return to his workplace, even if they were a little early. The moment they got out of the store, Cinder promptly took claim of her box of cream puffs and sank down into Jaune's shadow. With her vampirism reduced greatly, it seemed that the sun barely had an effect towards the vampire. Such luxury came at the price of being powerless.

"So," Blake started, walking beside Jaune on the sidewalk. "That was a thing."

Jaune huffed, before letting out a small laugh. "Welcome to my world."

"Your world doesn't seem too bad, to be honest."

Jaune gazed over the traffic. "I guess so."

He had to agree on some level. Living together with Cinder wasn't all that bad. For the most part, she stayed within his shadow. And whenever she got out of it, she liked to spend time with him or play things on his scroll. If Jaune had to describe it; he'd say that it reminded him of living with his sisters to an extent.

Speaking of sisters, a familiar fifteen year old redhead greeted them from across the road. "Blake! Jaune!" Ruby waved her hand. She sped off towards their direction, leaving rose petals behind her. "What are you two doing here?"

"We were just out on lunch," Blake answered. "I'm actually on my way back."

"I gotta get back to work," Jaune answered as well. "What are you doing here? You're not with Yang?"

"Yang's back at Beacon. She still has homework to finish, and Weiss isn't letting her go until she finishes them all," Ruby said.

Blake raised an eyebrow in response. "And you've finished yours?"

"Of course!" Ruby said proudly. "I'm being a responsible leader."

Jaune wanted to point out that doing their homework was more or less expected of every student in the world, regardless of the kind of school they go to, but Ruby looked so cute with her hands on her hips and chest puffed out that he didn't want to ruin the moment. So cute, indeed... Never mind the fact that she was officially classified as an aberrant in his book as a silver-eyed warrior, but her cute looks alone should be considered an oddity itself. What a conundrum – a conundrum, indeed. Ah, why was Blake looking at him strangely? Ruby too?

"Still, what are you doing here, Ruby? Do you need to buy some dust rounds again?" Blake asked. Ruby turned to Blake, shifting her attention away from Jaune's less than subtle leering.

"Well, that was my intention," the petite girl said. "But there have been some talks about among Beacon students that someone is going around selling fake charms to the student body, and I heard the same thing from a middle-schooler I asked on the streets just a while ago."

Blake raised an eyebrow. "I didn't take you to be someone who's privy to gossips."

Ruby scratched her head sheepishly. "Well, I actually found that out from Yang. She was talking about the charms, saying that it might help her finish homework. Of course, Weiss quickly shot her down."

"And you're going to find out who's selling these fake charms?" Blake asked.

Ruby nodded. "Of course! It's our job as huntsmen and huntress to help the people, right?"

Blake, of course, was not as idealistic as her teammate. To Blake, being a huntress was a means to an end so that she could change the image of faunus-kind in Remnant, and perhaps even the White Fang. To Ruby, however, being a huntress was her goal. Nothing else. Such a simple goal. Blake simply gave a nod to Ruby, however, not trusting her more cynical views to sour the conversation.

"What trail do you have?" Blake asked instead.

"Most people I asked simply said that the culprit is wearing a white tattered cloak coloured red on the inside," Ruby said. "It's not much, but they also said that the culprit mostly hangs around areas near schools."

Ruby turned to Jaune. "You haven't heard of anything around your school?"

"Huh?" Jaune asked. "Me? Not that I know of."

The boy known as Jaune Arc was not very sociable at school. He barely pays attention to the ongoing within it, let alone the gossips the circled around. Whitley might be a better choice if Ruby wanted to seek an answer, but Jaune knew that the Schnee was not much better than him in this regard. They were truly stuck in their own world.

Ruby hummed. "A shame. Oh, well," she perked up. "I have a trail to follow. See you around, guys!"

Jaune and Blake gave Ruby a small wave as she ran through an alleyway, not knowing the crisis the red-cloaked girl would be going through for the next few days.

* * *

"Oz."

Ozpin looked up from his desk to see the familiar grizzled form of Qrow Branwen. It seemed the call of his name and the upward turn of his head had become a familiar routine at this point.

"Qrow," the headmaster greeted. "It's good to see you. How is your mission?" the Signal teacher preferred to give out reports personally as opposed to written ones. Ozpin didn't mind as long as the report given to him was accurate.

Although, he did wonder if he was giving his agents too much free reign. After all, Torchwick was a known crook in Vale. And while the man's connections and colleagues had been a huge help from time to time, one woman in Roman's circle was rather peculiar - not only for her choice of clothing, but also because Ozpin didn't agree on said woman's methods of acquiring money. Fake charms and con tricks. They were harmless enough that he turned his eyes away from her for the most part, but that didn't mean he liked it.

"Still no success, Oz," Qrow said, pulling a flask out of his coat. He drank the contents, probably whiskey, like one would drink a canteen of water. "I'm beginning to wonder if this is just a fool's errand."

Ozpin sighed. "I know it seemed that way, but as long as the Fall Maiden is missing, it's a danger that we can't ignore."

"The Fall Maiden has been missing for centuries, Oz," Qrow hissed. "Maybe Remnant just swallowed her whole or something."

"I can feel her Qrow," Ozpin insisted. "Although I do not know where she is, I can feel that she's out there somewhere."

Qrow sighed. "You're like a father looking for their lost daughter, you know?"

"I wouldn't exactly deny that," Ozpin stood up, before looking out the window of his massive office. "Although there is a bit of sentimentality, the loss of the Fall Maiden would mean catastrophic loss – not only to our manpower, but also for the relics."

"Only the Maidens can access the relics, I know," Qrow said. "Still, what can we do? Searching for Fall now would only give the same result, Oz, and you know it."

Ozpin sighed, seeing the truth in Qrow's words. It was truly trying times. The White Fang seemed more of a force than they ever was, and Ozpin knew how disastrous such negativity could result should they decide to attack.

They need the relics safely in their hands. And to do so, they need the Fall Maiden. But now, the Fall Maiden could be anyone. If the powers ended up at the wrong hands, the consequences could be dire.

"Say, Qrow," the headmaster turned to the other man.

"What?"

"Winter Schnee is currently investigating a White Fang movement at the coasts of Mistral," Ozpin said. "Help her with it, will you? And don't forget to ask her about her progress on searching for the Fall Maiden."

"Really?" Qrow slumped. "You do realize she won't appreciate my presence, right?"

"Oh?" Ozpin smiled. "I thought you two were pretty close? After all, you did recommend her to our circle."

"Oh, we are close," Qrow laughed. "She almost nicked my neck a couple of times. That kind of attention demands a certain kind of… closeness."

"I see that there won't be a problem, then," Ozpin sat down, taking a sip from his coffee. "Besides, you did say you want to take a break from teaching for a while."

Qrow scoffed, before turning back towards the elevator. "Fine. I'll get to it. I want some top-brand whiskey at my home in Patch as payment. And don't be surprised if you hear anything about property damage or something!"

Ozpin sighed as he watched the elevator door close on Qrow's figure, leaving the headmaster alone in his office. Again, wondered if he was truly giving his agents too much free reign.

* * *

 **That feeling when you realize that Penny's color scheme can be seen as an opposite color palette of Yotsugi… Penny's story arc will be interesting, once it comes around. Uwehehehe…**

 **I really do like writing dialogues. FYI, Blake's banter with Jaune does indeed reach up to around six pages in this document, as Jaune described. Will this kind of banter be seen with all characters? For the most part. Of course, not all characters interact with banters. Like, can you imagine Neo bantering with Jaune? Haha. Hahaha. Hahahaha… Oh, did anyone catch the Dragon Ball reference in this chapter?**

 **RWBY, like Monogatari employs many familiar tropes for its characters, hence why it's so easy to make parallels for the characters from both series. If you're wondering, I'm mostly browsing through the OP/ED's lyrics rather than the characters themselves for writing inspiration. Seriously, read Platinum Disco's lyrics, and tell me it doesn't remind you of Nora and Ren's relationship.**

 **Any theory as to who Ruby's target is? I'm curious as to what you guys are thinking. Don't forget to leave a review, and follow as well as add this story to your favorites!**

* * *

 **TEASER FOR THE NEXT CHAPTER: _Ruby Lamb, Part 2_**

"Haha. 愚か者. That's what you are."

"Huh? What? What did you call me?"

"Hm? Did you miss that? 愚か者."


	9. Chapter 9: Ruby Lamb, Part 2

**The Intersection(s) at Vale**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY or any of its characters. I'm just playing around with Rooster Teeth's property.**

 **Warning: Some of you may get a little uncomfortable while reading this chapter, as this chapter contains full-on nudity. This is an M-rated fic, after all.**

* * *

 **in·ter·sec·tion**

 **in(t)ərˈsekSH(ə)n**

 _ **noun**_

 _a point or line common to lines or surfaces that intersect._

 _ **"the intersection of a plane and a cone"**_

 _a point at which two or more things intersect, especially roads._

 _ **"red and green lights at the nearby intersection"**_

 _an action of intersecting._

 _ **"his course is on a direct intersection with ours"**_

* * *

 _Ruby Lamb, Part 2_

Jaune sighed as he undid the lock on his bike's wheel. His work today was done, and he was just about to head home to his apartment. His mind went back to his unresolved matter with Blake. What should he ask from her? He couldn't help but remember Cinder's words back in that pocket dimension.

 _I can offer you my services, but what do you want?_

She had asked him that – those exact words. And now Blake was asking the same thing from him, although for a different reason. What did he want? He was never the kind of person who wanted much out of life. He was always a simple boy. He accepted whatever came to him with open arms – and mind.

Wait, no. He did want something. It was something that was impossible to fulfill, though.

He had wanted to be a huntsman – correction – he still wanted to be a huntsman. But with his lack of training, there was no way he would be able to enter Signal, let alone Beacon. What of his vampire traits, though? Ah, no – too many drawbacks.

Beacon was a pipe dream. Neither Blake nor Cinder can fulfil that request. It was simply beyond them. So what to do? What to ask of them? What could they give him? What would he be willing to accept?

Questions, questions, questions, questions…

Every question seemed to breed even more questions. Argh – it was so confusing… He was never good at decisions. Pulling out his scroll, Jaune noted that it was around twenty minutes past eight. He wasn't in the mood to cook anything. He hoped some restaurants were still open, especially Mistralian food. Maybe some noodles would clear his mind.

"Ah, Jaune."

Hm? That voice… Jaune looked up from his scroll, and the other hand that was holding his bike's handle went slack at the sight of the person in front of him.

"V-Vermeil?" Jaune asked. "Sis!"

"Come on, Jaune," she smiled. "You act like we haven't seen each other for years."

Vermeil Arc was his twin sister, and so, looked largely similar to him, just more feminine. She wore a red jacket – fitting of her name. The collar of the jacket was pulled up to cover her cheeks. On her back was a large backpack, seemingly filled to the brim with stuffs that Jaune was sure they would burst out any second. She also wore dark grey jeans and a pair of traveling shoes.

Jaune pulled his bike stand and left it by Tukson's shop. He walked over to Vermeil, giving her a tight hug. "It always feels like years whenever you're away."

Vermeil smiled and pulled away from the hug, her hands on Jaune's shoulders. "You seem to have something on your mind before I greeted you. Care to share?"

"Ah, I'm not sure you'd like me sharing my burdens."

"Try me, brother," Vermeil smiled.

"Never mind me," Jaune shook his head. "Are you still travelling all over Remnant?"

"Sure am," Vermeil smiled, pointing at her backpack. "I gotta catch a ship that's heading to Mistral."

"So you can't stay the night?"

Vermeil smiled apologetically. "No. Sorry, Jaune. But I can spare a few minutes for my dear twin. So what's troubling you? Is it the fake charm vendor?"

"How do you know about that?"

Vermeil smiled before patting his head. "You told me, silly! I visited you at Tukson's after your lunch break, remember?"

She did? If she did, he could not remember any of it. Strange… While Jaune could forget about some things from time to time, his memory wasn't so bad that he'd forget something that happened just that afternoon.

Vermeil continued, smiling as she led him to a nearby bench to sit on, which was conveniently set under a street lamp. "From what I know, the culprit seems to be someone skilled. They always get away with the things they do, right? That suggests that they're an expert at escaping. There's also the possibility of a semblance being used."

"Wha – a semblance?" Jaune asked. "Doesn't that make them dangerous?"

Vermeil shrugged with a smile. "Well, your friend Ruby seems to be pretty skilled herself."

"She's still young," Jaune retorted. "I'm just afraid that she's in over her head."

"Ah," Vermeil smiled. "You never change, Jaune. Always worrying over others."

Jaune laughed. "You too, Ver. You always seem to know everything."

Vermeil smiled, this time, showing a bit of teeth. "I'm not the one who knows things. _You are_."

As always, Jaune was stumped at what that phrase meant. It was her favorite phrase, you see? She always said that he holds all the answers, but really, she was the one that gives the answers to him, on a silver platter, no less.

"Is there something else?" Vermeil probed with a smile. "Girl problems, hmm?"

"Ah," Jaune shifted uncomfortably. "Is it really that obvious?"

"If we're being frank, you always have problem with girls," Vermeil answered with a smile. "What is it? Someone owed you something and you don't know what to ask from them?"

Jaune blinked. "That sounds strangely specific…"

"I'm your twin," Vermeil smiled. "Are you really surprised?"

"I suppose not."

"You shouldn't be," Vermeil continued, leaning back on the bench with a smile. "Great minds think alike – twins more so. What if we share the same brain, huh? Ha. Ha. Ha."

"Ugh," Jaune groaned. "That sounds so creepy."

"Hahaha," Vermeil laughed, her smile never dropping – a never-ending smile. Jaune never remembered a time when Vermeil wasn't smiling. "Life has a strange way of finding its way, Jaune."

"Ever consider that it's going the wrong way?"

Vermeil smiled, poking him on the cheek. "There's no such thing as a wrong way, just a detour."

"If you say so…"

"Hm?" Vermeil tilted her head, smiling. "You're the one who told me that, you know?"

"Huh? Really?"

She smiled. "You told me that back during spring break. You were in such a mess back then."

Huh? Was Vermeil in Vale during spring break? He was so confused right now… When did they meet? Was it after he first became a vampire? Or was it during the time he had searched for Whitley? Was it after Stella's death? He didn't even remember much of the week between his visit to Beacon and today. What was wrong with him?

"Haha," Vermeil poked his cheek, smiling all the way. "愚か者. That's what you are."

"Huh? What?" Jaune blinked. "What did you call me?"

"Hm?" Vermeil tilted her head with a smile. "Did you miss that? 愚か者."

Did he hear her wrong? Vermeil was talking in gibberish to him – although, it sounded vaguely familiar to him. Where have he heard that word before? He tried to rack his mind, but it was as if his mind was blocking the memory.

"Anyway," Vermeil put her hands on her cheeks and leaned forward, still smiling. "You're wondering what to ask of this girl?"

"Ah," Jaune laughed nervously. "Yeah. What do you think I should ask of her?"

"Why ask me, brother?" Vermeil smiled. "You already know what you want."

"I do?"

She nodded with a smile. "You've always known what you wanted."

"I…"

Vermeil smile grew wider at Jaune's confused state. She suddenly stood up, which shook Jaune out of his thoughts. "Ah, well. I have to go now," she said, smiling down at him.

"S-so soon? I was just about to go and buy dinner."

Vermeil looked at her watch, which prompted an amused smile from her. "I'm not sure anything short of a fast-food chain will be open at this hour."

"H-huh?" Jaune turned on his scroll and was surprised to see how late it was. It was close to ten o'clock. Just how long did he talk with Vermeil? Their conversation felt shorter – much shorter, and yet, his scroll said it all.

"Time sure flies by when you're chatting, huh?" she asked with her ever-present smile. A part of Jaune told him something he could not fathom. Vermeil's smile incited an instinct within him – his self-preservation instinct. It was telling him to run. Run far away from Vermeil and her smiling face.

But, she was his sister. Even with the bad blood between him and his parents, Jaune would trust any member of his family. Yeah, Vermeil can be trusted. He had trusted her for his whole life.

To doubt Vermeil was just foolish. It would be foolish not to trust Vermeil.

The street light above them flickered.

"Ah," Vermeil said with a smile. "I guess that's my cue. See you later, Jaune." She walked off while waving her hand. Jaune gave her a wave back, not taking his eyes off her retreating form. Even as she walked off, she did not take her eyes off him. Her blue orbs seemed to penetrate him, even at the distance they were in. Was it just him, or did her smile widen?

"What are you doing?"

"Gah!" Jaune yelled out in surprise. Turning around, he came upon the familiar figure of his boss. "T-Tukson? What are you doing here?"

Tukson grunted. "That's something I should be asking you. Your bike was still beside the shop, and here I find you waving your hand with a stupid smile on your face."

Jaune turned his head back towards the street and saw no sign of Vermeil. Huh… She must be a fast walker. Jaune huffed. "I was just thinking about something."

"For more than an hour?"

"I have a lot on my mind."

Tukson raised his eyebrow, and Jaune had to hold back a flinch as he remembered how his introduction to Blake went by. Talk about awkward…

"Whatever," Tukson grunted. "Ride home, Jaune. Vale gets a bit more dangerous at night. You don't want to get caught in whatever those crooks are up to. Trust me."

"Yeah, I know," Jaune said, walking over to his bike. "I know all too well what lurks in the night," he muttered the last part.

* * *

Great… It was now raining. True to his initial plan, Jaune had gone to a fast-food restaurant to buy some food for the night. Nothing too big or too many that he'd have trouble finishing them. Besides, it wasn't like Cinder would want any of it. She was already happy with the box of cream puffs he had bought earlier that day.

His hoodie was pulled up, mostly shielding his face from the rain. It wasn't pouring, but it was certainly no light rain either. Thankfully, his food, which was safely tucked in his bike's front basket, was shielded by a rather thick plastic bag. Surprising, as Jaune had thought most fast-food restaurants would be too cheap with their plastic or paper bags, leaving them pretty thin.

A familiar intersection greeted him as he pedaled his bike through the rain. Thankfully, the road was mostly clear thanks to the rain. Or so he thought.

With the rain water pelting his face, Jaune initially failed to notice the destroyed wall just by the sidewalk, or the dented pole and the cracked road. It was only when he hit a literal piece of the road blocking his path that he clenched the brakes. The road was smashed, as if something hard had hit it and flipped that piece of the road over.

"W-wha?" Jaune asked to no one in particular, looking around him with his jaw hung low. The rain poured further, drenching his clothes, but also giving the area he was in an eerie atmosphere to it. The place looked like a battlefield, and Jaune wasn't sure he wanted to be caught in whatever was fighting.

A whimper caught his hearing, even amongst the pouring rain. Whether it was because of his enhanced hearing or simply because the whimpers were that loud, he could not tell the difference. But it was a whimper. Like an injured little animal – or a person, in this case. A person was hurt, and Jaune's mind whirled.

Should he leave them be? With how much property damage there was around, the authorities were bound to show up, right? What if it was a civilian? Goddamn it… So many choices and possibilities…

Shaking his head, Jaune pulled his bike stand and left his bike on the sidewalk. He followed the sounds of whimpers, which led him to an alleyway, where more signs of destruction can be seen. Somehow, the situation seemed so familiar.

 _ **A sense of**_ _ **déjà vu, Master?**_

Oh, shut it, Cinder… It wasn't like he couldn't come up with that thought on his own. Ah, that was quite rude of him. He hoped he didn't say that out loud. She was right, though. As opposed to the blood trail that he had followed when he had first met Cinder, he was now following a trail of destruction. Still, the idea was the same. Said trail became worse by the minute and Jaune had to wonder what kind of person would be capable of doing this.

Pretty much every huntsmen and huntresses out there, really.

That didn't narrow down the list of suspects, but what he was afraid of was facing down a specialist, and not the one Atlas had. Not every specialist was as lenient as Qrow and Torchwick. Some were more persistent than others.

An image of Raven Branwen came to mind.

He shuddered at the thought of him meeting the vampire hunter again. He barely survived against her, even with his budding vampire powers. It was only thanks to Qrow that he had managed to get what he needed from her and be done with it. Of course, not before being bisected and kicked around like a ragdoll.

Crazy bitch…

He sometimes wondered if he should bless or curse Qrow's name, as the older man only intervened when Jaune was pretty much whimpering on the floor. But he did intervene. That should count as something, right?

Oh, wait. He still owed the man money.

Curse, it was.

As he turned on an alleyway, he saw it. Somehow, it felt cruel to just say "I told you so", but he really wanted to say it, as it was very appropriate to the situation and who was involved in said situation. Drenched under the rain and matted with dirt was Ruby Rose. Her clothes were shred in a few places, and Jaune could see the signs of bruises on some of her exposed skin, mainly her face. She was whimpering on the ground, lying among a few garbage cans as if she was a discarded property, and Jaune could see tears running down her face. It was a far cry from the chirpy girl he had first met at Beacon.

"Ruby?" he called out to her. She did not seem to register his voice, so he called again. "Ruby! Can you hear me?"

"W-who's that?" she groaned, looking around in a haze. "H-help. It's so p-painful."

"It's me, Jaune."

"B-Blake's friend, right?" she asked, looking at the direction of his voice. Something was amiss with her eyes.

"Yeah," Jaune nodded. "Where does it hurt?"

"E-everywhere," she whimpered. "But mostly on my eyes. W-what's happening to me?"

"I don't know," Jaune said. "But let's get you someplace dry first."

Jaune tried calling Blake with his scroll, but his luck reared its ugly head again, revealing that his scroll was out of battery. "What?" he groaned. "Oh come on! Now!?" He had simply wanted to put Ruby under some roof to keep her dry and call Blake, but with his scroll out and in need of a recharge, he had to take the drastic measure.

"Come on, Ruby," he hoisted the girl up. "My place isn't far from here."

As he hoisted Ruby on his arms, Jaune felt a feeling of fear wash over his back. He whipped his head around to who it was, but was only greeted by the dark alley – his vision obscured by the torrent of rain. He swore he saw a pair of red eyes watching him move. Not willing to risk it, Jaune promptly hightailed out of there.

* * *

Getting Ruby on his bike had been quite the hassle, even more so riding to his apartment without her falling off. Still, carrying her on his back, Jaune kicked open the door to his apartment after – with quite the struggle – unlocking it with his keys. He immediately put Ruby on his bed, as he felt the couch wouldn't suffice for this situation. The food he had bought was put somewhere in the kitchen, his mind too frantic to remember where.

Ruby was still whimpering, and over the course of their ride here, Jaune could feel her developing a fever because of the rain. Her shivering form brought a horrifying realization upon him.

He would have to get her out of those wet clothes, lest she get sick with hypothermia – especially knowing for god knows how long she had been under the rain.

Jaune himself had gotten out of his hoodie, and was now standing in his apartment with a wife beater and the pair of track pants he had lent Blake just last week. His choice of clothing only made the image so much worse…

Having prepared a bowl of warm water along with a towel to clean and warm her with, Jaune was still mentally preparing himself for what he was about to do.

Come on, Jaune! This wasn't the first girl you've seen half-dressed! Oh, who was he kidding? Walking in on his sisters changing doesn't count… Although, there was that time when Blake was just in a towel… No! Bad Jaune! He didn't want to awaken the beast known as Lil' Jaune. It would be highly inappropriate. Wait. There was that time with Cinder… No. That was even worse for this situation…

"Cinder! Help me out here!" Jaune called to his shadow. A tiny head peeked out from his shadow, only her eyes and the top of her head visible.

"What is it?" she asked lazily.

"Don't just sleep all the time in there!" Jaune pointed at her. "You're a creature of the night, right?"

Cinder looked incredulously at the whimpering form of Ruby on Jaune's bed. "What does this have to do with being a creature of the night? I'm not _that kind_ of night dweller, you know…"

"Are you really expecting me to undress a girl!?"

Cinder raised an eyebrow. "If it's in good will, then yes. Besides, you were never subtle in your leering of this silver-eyed girl."

"That was (mostly) in jest! Hey, don't just add parentheses there!"

"Regardless of your feelings on the matter," Cinder spoke out, half of her head still buried within his shadow. "It's crucial that this girl is undressed, lest she get sicker. I'm sure you know of this?"

"Y-yeah…"

Cinder huffed. "Then simply do so. I'm not going to go out of my way to undress some wayward silver-eyes." With that, she immediately sank down into his shadow again, and this time, Jaune knew that she wasn't going to wake up for his sake.

 _Lazy brat…_

Still, Jaune wasn't sure on what to do here. Should he close his eyes as he undresses her? No, wait. That'd be worse, as he might accidentally grab something he shouldn't. Should he call Blake? His scroll was still being charged, but give it five or ten minutes and he'd be able to call her.

"A-ah!" Ruby yelped, yanking her sleeve in pain, even as she was unconscious. "I-it hurts!"

Shit… It seemed that the clothes that were sticking to her increased the pain. How fucking convenient… The situation was just designed to make him look like a criminal. Whatever almighty force that had put him into this situation must be a sadist. She was still out cold, though, and he hoped she stayed that way.

Come to think of it, this wasn't that different from his own situation whenever it was feeding time for Cinder. Clothes, especially multiple layers of them, left him with a constant stinging until he unburdened himself from a few layers. He knew what to do, and what to apply to decrease the pain. All that was left was the actual deed.

"Okay," Jaune took a deep breath. "Here goes."

His first course of action was to unlatch her hooded red cloak. Unclasping them from her shoulders, Jaune pulled her head up a bit in order to get the clothing article off. It was dripping wet. He would have to dry them when the rain subsides, or perhaps even wash them.

Next were the corset, the skirt, and then her shirt. To a third eye, it would seem really suspicious as to why Jaune was so adept at undressing girls. He would argue that shopping trips with his sisters had familiarized him with women's clothing, but even he would find that hard to believe.

He was a healthy young boy, you know!? Was it that hard to believe that he had a tad bit of interest in girls and how they look in nice-to-look clothes!? Okay, so learning on how to undo them and take them off was not very normal, but again, he was a healthy young boy. Healthy young boys do healthy things.

Yeah, that works.

Next were her pantyhose. Jaune felt so dirty pulling said article of clothing down her legs. Her strong pale legs… Goddamn it Jaune, focus!

She was left in nothing but her underwear – which to Jaune's surprise, was a set of red lacy bra with matching panties. Jaune wanted to leave her with as much modesty as possible without hurting her too much. It would have to do. Jaune wanted to sigh in relief at a job well done, but a glance to the side, and he remembered about the bucket of warm water and towel he brought with him for Ruby.

"Fuck…"

* * *

 _THE FOLLOWING MOMENT HAS BEEN OMMITED BY JAUNE HIMSELF AS TO NOT LOWER HIS IMAGE ANY FURTHER IN THE EYES OF THE READERS, WHO HAVE ALREADY NO DOUBT CONSIDER HIM TO BE UNFORGIVABLY PERVERSE. THANK YOU FOR YOUR UNDERSTANDING._

 _ **P.S:**_ _IF YOU WERE TO SEE A SUSPICIOUS MAN RIDE AROUND A BIKE IN THE CITY WITH AN UNCONSCIOUS FIFTEEN YEAR OLD GIRL AS HIS PASSENGER, PLEASE DO NOT HESITATE TO CALL YOUR LOCAL AUTHORITIES._

* * *

"Oh god…"

Jaune watched at his trembling hands; the very same hands that he had used to clean and soothe Ruby of her pain. His hands were still warm – from the water or from Ruby's body heat, he did not know. Just like how he washes himself with warm water to soothe the pain from Cinder's feeding, it had worked wonders on Ruby.

The way his hands roamed over her arms, legs, back… even covered by a towel… Goddamn it! He could no longer picture Ruby as the cute girl who could do no wrong as he did when he first met her. Was this his limit? Was his statement to Yang about not being sexually aroused was just him lying to himself? Such existential crisis never came over him before. Although it was inappropriate, he never felt any guilt whenever he took a glance at Yang's breasts (which, of course, he does once every ten seconds), or Blake's hips (truly magnificent, they were). He never considered them to be cute – just simply beautiful and sexy. Cute had always been a different category for him.

But now?

He did not know where that line came to blur. Ruby had shattered that mindset of him, thrusting him into an entirely new world that he was not prepared for. What world was that?

The fact that cute and sexy doesn't have to be mutually exclusive. Who would've thought!

Of course, ignoring the revelation that had just come over him, Ruby had just whimpered in pain about her eyes. Jaune went to his kitchen to open his first aid box and took out some painkillers. They would do Ruby some good. He would have to make her swallow the pill, though.

With her wincing and squirming, it was a messy process, but after the fifth try, Ruby had swallowed the painkiller he had prepared. He had also wiped the area around her eyes, as he remembered that Ruby couldn't see out of it in pain. It seemed despite the pain on her body, the eyes were more constant, but fluctuated less than the others. She was now sleeping soundly, although still with a few squirms here and there. Gazing over at Ruby's torn and discarded clothes, Jaune rummaged around its insides to find her scroll.

To his lack of surprise, her scroll had been crushed – most likely from the thrashing around Ruby had gotten. That explained why her teammates hadn't contacted her at all. He walked over to his desk and checked his scroll. Around twenty-four percent charged. It should be enough to call Blake. Clicking her number, Jaune waited for an answer. It didn't even take two full seconds for someone to answer from the other side.

"Hello?" he asked.

" _Jaune,"_ Blake answered. _"I was just about to call you."_

"You were going to ask about Ruby, weren't you?"

Blake was silent for a second or two.

" _How do you know?"_

"Well," Jaune answered, a little unsure on how to word it. "I found Ruby in an alley, soaked to the bone under the rain."

" _YOU KNOW WHERE SHE IS!?"_

Jaune winced, holding his scroll a few inches away from his ear. Goddamn it, Yang. He could heal from a damaged eardrum, but it would still be wholly unpleasant.

"Hello, Yang. I was talking to Blake."

" _Don't give me that!"_ Yang yelled over the scroll. _"Where's Ruby!? Is she fine!? Why isn't she answering her scroll!?"_

"She's…" Jaune trailed off. "She's mostly fine. A little feverish, though. Her scroll is pretty much crushed. I think she landed on it after whatever she did." Jaune wasn't sure about telling them how she was currently in pain, especially when he wasn't sure from what. Jaune continued. "Still, with how heavy the rain is, I don't think she could go back to Beacon tonight. The bullhead service will have closed by the time the rain stops."

" _Is she at your place?"_ Blake asked, and from the sound of it, she had just yanked her scroll off Yang's grip.

"Yeah, she's with me," Jaune answered. "I've given her some medicine. She's currently sleeping the fever off."

" _Good. We'll come pick her up early tomorrow morning when the public bullhead is back up,"_ Blake answered. _"Take care of her, Jaune. Yang will be pissed otherwise (Yeah, Devil-Boy!) and Weiss is already pacing around the room in worry. She might just have a heart attack if anything happens to her partner (I am not!)."_

"Yeah, well, it's like taking care of one of my sisters," Jaune said. "Ruby is in good hands, guys." He could vouch for that – in more ways than one.

No, bad Jaune!

He continued. "I haven't asked her how she ended up in that alley, though. I'll ask it out of her for you guys when she wakes up."

" _Don't do anything weird, you hear me?"_ Yang exclaimed. _"Or I'll kick your virgin ass to next Saturday!"_

Jaune had half the mind to tell her that he hadn't been a virgin for a few months now. Instead, he opted to stay silent, letting the raging beast that was Yang Xiao Long go over like a bad wind.

" _You do that,"_ Blake said, cutting Yang off. _"We'll see you tomorrow. Thanks, Jaune."_

And with that, Blake cut the connection between them. Jaune sighed, not really wanting to go back to his room and get an eyeful of Ruby in nothing but her underwear. Thankfully, he had things to do. First, he had to take a bath for himself, and then wash Ruby's dirty wet clothes. Not the most glamorous things people his age would do on a Saturday night, but then again, most people don't end up taking care of their unconscious friend, unless they're hammered drunk from a party.

He was pretty sure Ruby wasn't drunk. She didn't smell like it. Was it some kind of drug that drove her to so much pain? He hoped it wasn't the case. It would be something entirely out of his field – and it wasn't that wide of a field to begin with. Pocketing his scroll and peeking into his room, Ruby was asleep. Her labored breathing signified a troubled sleep, but at least she was resting. Her pain didn't seem to flare up again, but he didn't want to get too comfortable.

After a moment of contemplation, Jaune decided to take a bath with his door slightly open, on the off chance that Ruby wakes up screaming in pain or something. He sighed as he leaned back in his bathtub, the warm water washing away his current stress. It had been a while since he had a proper bath. It had always been a quick shower for him, and the change of pace was certainly to his liking. He should do this more often.

Of course, someone else seemed to have taken a liking to the situation as well.

"Hoop!" a naked Cinder exclaimed as she jumped from his shadow, hands outstretched as she dived into the bathtub. With a loud splash that sent water everywhere and an equally loud thud, Cinder sat up in the bathtub groggily, her collarbone barely above the water.

"…"

"What?" she asked haughtily.

"You just slammed your head, didn't you?"

She huffed, "It was a perfectly calculated dive!"

And he was the headmaster of Beacon. He had seen quite a few professional dive jumps on TV, and he was pretty sure slamming our head on the floor wasn't part of the technique.

"Yeah," Jaune rolled his eyes. "Sure it was."

She harrumphed in response. "What about you, then? Trying to wash the silver eyes' vulnerable body out of your mind?"

Hrrk!

"No fair…" Jaune grumbled.

"Hmph!" Cinder crossed her arms. "You took her in. You should take responsibility. You know what I always say."

"I know, I know," Jaune slumped. "One should always take responsibility with their actions."

"Correct, Master," Cinder nodded sagely. "Now hand me the shampoo."

He handed the bottle over to her. "I thought vampires don't need to take baths? A vampire's aura always keeps them in a clean otherworldly state, right?"

"Correct," Cinder nodded. "But just because I don't need a bath or shower, doesn't mean I don't enjoy them."

That made Jaune wonder – what is the longest that Cinder had gone without a bath or shower? He had half the mind to tease her about it, but knew that it wouldn't be appreciated. Tch, such a lack of humor on people these days.

"Hmm…" Jaune hummed. "I guess that's true. What of silver eyed warriors, though? There isn't much about them in that book Qrow gave me."

Cinder poured the appropriate amount of shampoo in her hand before starting with her hair. "Even in the 500 or so years that I've lived, I haven't encountered a lot of silver eyed warriors. I guess I can say that their main trait is that they're combat prodigies."

"What, that's it?"

It seemed rather anticlimactic, especially since silver-eyed warriors were categorized into the same tier as vampires. One would think they'd be more impressive than that. Come to think of it, did Ruby know what she even was? Did her teammates, other than Blake, know?

"There are also their eyes, which from what I heard, inflict awful things to Grimm."

"Only what you've heard?"

Cinder shrugged, "I haven't met a lot of them, and I certainly did not go out of my way to see them fight Grimm. They're pretty rare, really."

Jaune took the shampoo bottle from her and proceeded to clean his own hair. "So, do you have any idea on what's happening to Ruby?"

"Remind me again on what's inflicting her."

Of course, with her attitude, it would even be more surprising if Cinder had even remembered Ruby's name.

Jaune sighed. "She said that her eyes are in pain, and her skin is in a pain not too different from mine whenever you feed from me."

Cinder hummed in thought, bubbles and water dripping down the side of her face. "It sounds like a bad aftereffect of an energy drain."

"Energy drain? You mean like how vampires suck blood?"

"Basically the same in idea, yes," Cinder nodded, before turning around and showing her back to Jaune. "Vampires aren't the only creature able to drain energy from their victim. Who knows, it might not even be an energy drain after all. Now scrub my back, Master."

Rinsing the shampoo off his hair, Jaune took a loofah and poured some soap onto it. He scrubbed it between his hands until he felt it was sufficient. Positioning himself closer to Cinder, he began to scrub her back.

"Any idea on what kind of problem this is?" he asked.

"There are quite a bit to choose from," Cinder hummed. "I may need more specific details before I can decide. You should try to remember things from that book of yours. Does she have any kind of wound or blemish on her body?"

Jaune tried to remember the details of Ruby's half-naked body through his hormone-hazed mind. Come to think of it, despite the pain, there didn't seem to be any external damage on her body.

"There hadn't been any," Jaune answered. "Hold up your hands."

Cinder did so, doing a T pose with her hands. Jaune moved from her back to her hands, scrubbing them as clean as he could. "Well, that narrows it down by a lot. But the choices that we're left with are too far-fetched for my liking."

"Such as?"

"Well, there are spirit slugs, which invade a victim through a hole in the body and attack the aura, causing constant pain."

"But?"

"But they're only found in areas filled with dead bodies in a particularly swampy area. Mostly from how serial killers have the tendency to dump their victims in a swamp or something so that the animals might get rid of the evidence, or in the hopes it would drown in the murky waters."

"And the only swampy areas near Vale are beyond the city, with the largest ones being closer to Vacuo," Jaune answered.

"Correct, Master."

Well, that was a rather grim option. He had never gone to the swamps himself. The closest being that village in Anima, where the surrounding area was particularly… foresty… was that even a word? There was something important from that village that he couldn't remember, though.

"And the other option?" Jaune asked, shelving his thoughts back.

"A type of Grimm that invades the body. This particular Grimm spews out harmful spores that slowly destroy human or faunus from within. But they're only found in caves or mines."

"There aren't any that we know of in the near vicinity."

Cinder nodded. "You found her in an alleyway, right? There's no way she found a cave in the middle of the city."

"So, it's not an aberrant, and it's not a Grimm either?"

Cinder scoffed, "I think Vale would be in more of an uproar if they knew a Grimm had gotten into the city. We would've heard of it, you know?"

"Any other suggestions in mind, then?" Jaune asked as he rinsed Cinder's back.

"Well, there is something that I know of, but it's impossible."

"How so?"

Cinder turned back towards Jaune. "Because Salem is dead."

Huh, what? The big-bad witch from those stories? Salem is real? She had been alive at one point? He knew the legends said as much, but really?

"Salem?" Jaune asked. "The legendary dark witch from those bed-time stories?"

"You human and faunus may only know her story, but I've lived long enough to have known The Queen of Grimm. What does your legend say? That a group of heroes defeated the Queen herself?"

Jaune shrugged. "That's pretty much how it goes. Heroes from all four kingdoms banded together on defeating Salem, and thus, bringing an era of peace onto Remnant, or so they say."

"They didn't say anything particularly wrong. And yet, the Grimm aren't gone," Cinder crossed her arms.

"Uh… That's also true," Jaune said. You'd think that with the Queen of Grimm dead, the rest would dissolve, right?

"The title of _Queen of Grimm_ was just something human came up with," Cinder shrugged, as if reading his mind. "She never claimed as such, and she didn't create the Grimm in the first place. It just so happens that her powers were linked to the Grimm. Coincidentally, do you know of a specific name some human give vampires?"

"Ah, right," Jaune realized. "Raven Branwen said something about me being a Child of Salem."

"We do have some similar powers to Salem, which is the origin of that name – controlling Grimm to an extent being one of them," said Cinder.

"Does that mean the culprit to this is a vampire?"

"Possibly, but one small detail is amiss," Cinder said.

"What is it?" Jaune asked.

"Vampires who are old enough can have the ability to inflict pain on weak people by simply touching them. Consider it a paralyzing effect for eating our prey."

Jaune raised an eyebrow. "Wouldn't that be more effective for younger, less experienced vampires?"

Cinder shrugged. "Hey, I don't decide what my powers are. Don't ask me."

"Okay, okay," Jaune sighed. "So what makes the culprit not a vampire?"

"From what I saw of the silver eyed girl, her entire body is in pain, especially her eyes."

Jaune blinked. "Meaning?"

"Meaning that whatever it was targeted her eyes the most. A vampire's energy drain or deadly touch spreads the pain, not focuses it on a single spot. It becomes more significant knowing her status as a silver eye."

She emphasized a lot on a silver eye's eyes, but didn't even know what they do exactly. Figures… Besides, one thought came to his mind.

"Aren't the eyes a universal weak spot?"

Cinder scoffed. "I like to think of the worst case scenario in mind. Now turn around. I'll wash your back."

"Sure you can handle it?" Jaune chuckled.

"It's a back, not a Beowolf den," Cinder said, pouring some soap onto the loofah. "Now, where were we?"

"Silver eyes."

"Ah, yes," Cinder said, scrubbing Jaune's back. "One of Salem's abilities, among controlling Grimm, is the ability to destroy aberrant, and not just their physical form, but their very existence. Her death gave rise to more aberrant, hence why specialist huntsmen are more common now."

"You've seen her in action?"

"I've seen her destroy a silver eye once," Cinder said. "I was watching from afar, and it was after a long and grueling battle. Salem touched the silver eye's forehead, and his eyes burst into pain, before slowly dissolving in flames."

"What?" Jaune turned around, much to Cinder's annoyance. "Are you saying that Ruby is in danger?"

"More than she is now" Cinder tilted her head. "I don't know, but it's the first thing that came to mind."

"I mean," Jaune turned around again, with Cinder resuming her scrubbing. "It's not like Salem being the culprit is possible, right?"

"You're right," Cinder said, rinsing the soap off Jaune's back. "But the thought of someone having a similar ability is worrying as well."

Indeed it was. But he liked to think that if someone like that were to appear, the huntsmen and huntresses would be mobilized by the kingdom, right? He hoped so.

"You ever had a run-in with Salem?"

Cinder shrugged. "I stayed clear off her path, and she stayed clear off mine. Call it… a mutual understanding between us."

"Hmm…" Jaune hummed. "Still, to think that Salem is real…"

"Legends are planted in truths, are they not?"

"I guess so," Jaune said. "Oh well, I gotta go and clean up Ruby's clothes. Although in the state that they were, I think I'd be better off giving her some new ones."

Cinder leaned over the bathtub as Jaune climbed out of it, drying himself with a towel. "Say, don't get too into the mood, Master. You're already dating that cat faunus, right?" Cinder snickered.

"It's a _friend date_ ," Jaune sighed.

"Hah!" Cinder scoffed. "Is that what the young ones call it these days? As I'm aware, the matter of courting is much simpler than that."

"Yeah well, the times are changing," Jaune said, drying his hair. "Get used to it. Now get out of the tub and dry yourself off."

"No need," Cinder said, as she jumped from the tub and into his shadow.

"Hm…" Jaune hummed as he saw the spectacle. "How convenient."

Wrapping the towel around his waist, Jaune stepped out of the bathroom, only to run into the very half-naked figure of Ruby, who had taken her hood as an attempt to cover herself. Her eyes were still twitching, most likely from pain, and the limp in her steps meant that some parts of her were still hurting. But all in all, she seemed better.

"A-ah…" the both of them uttered out at the same time.

"H-hey," Jaune greeted her. "Feeling better?"

"Y-yeah," Ruby shyly looked to the side. "Whatever you did worked. Um… You didn't do anything weird, did you?"

"H-huh!?" Jaune held up his hands. "Of course not! Yang would kill me if I did anything of the sort!"

"Only because of that?" Ruby coyly looked up with a playful grin. It seemed the shy huntress wasn't that shy after all.

Goddamn it, Ruby. Don't play coy. He may not be a virgin anymore, but that was just one time. His heart was still that of a virgin.

"Haha, I'm just kidding!" Ruby laughed. "Ouch!"

Jaune immediately held her shoulders up. "Where does it hurt?"

"Mostly my eyes," Ruby said. "I can't really see out of it. Everything's a blur."

Was that why she was so coy earlier? She must not realize that he was just dressed in a towel. A simple tug from her and Lil' Jaune would be seen by the world in all its glory.

"I'll get you something," Jaune said in a serious tone. "And I'll need to ask you some questions."

* * *

 **Lil' Jaune has a big role to play in the future… Not really.**

 **Anyway, mostly an expository chapter, but done in a way that highlights Cinder and Jaune's relationship. If you can't avoid an expository dialogue, then make it as interesting as possible.**

 **What will Jaune ask of Ruby? Still no idea as who the culprit is? I'd really love to hear some of you guys' theories regarding it. And don't forget. What do you think of Vermeil and her ever-smiling face? Who do you think she is?** _ **What**_ **do you think she is? Even more theories abound!**

 **Don't forget to follow, favorite, and review.**

* * *

 **TEASER FOR THE NEXT CHAPTER: _Ruby Lamb, Part 3_**

"You suck at storytelling..."

"Well, excuse me! I'm the one who can barely see out of her eyes!"

"I bet you can't even see what's dangling in front of your face, huh?"

"Bwehh! What is that!? It smells funny!"


	10. Chapter 10: Ruby Lamb, Part 3

**The Intersection(s) at Vale**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY or any of its characters. I'm just playing around with Rooster Teeth's property.**

* * *

 **in·ter·sec·tion**

 **in(t)ərˈsekSH(ə)n**

 _ **noun**_

 _a point or line common to lines or surfaces that intersect._

 _ **"the intersection of a plane and a cone"**_

 _a point at which two or more things intersect, especially roads._

 _ **"red and green lights at the nearby intersection"**_

 _an action of intersecting._

 _ **"his course is on a direct intersection with ours"**_

* * *

 _Ruby Lamb, Part 3_

 _Blake looked up at the darkening sky – skies that used to consist of multitude of colors. It was now a dull grey and black, covered by smoke and pollution – remnants of war and destruction, the aftermath of when everything started to go wrong. An apocalypse, some might say. She couldn't find it within her to disagree._

 _She walked across the post-apocalyptic land of Vale – No Man's Vale, the people call it. Despite the name, people still lived in the area, mostly looking for opportunities in the barren land, more so when knowing that_ _ **the two**_ _responsible for all the destruction had gone to another continent._

 _The people were scattered. The White Fang was no more but a remnant of the past, but at what cost? Ruby was out there where the conflict was, along with Yang. Weiss went back to Atlas to manage her company, the SDC being one of the few remaining safe bastions for the people of Remnant. Ren and Nora wandered off; the only thing that mattered to them was staying together. She did not blame them._

 _Jaune, Whitley, and Cinder were all missing. It was as if the wind had swallowed them whole, leaving no trace whatsoever. Maybe they died during the initial battle? Who knows…_

 _And her? Blake stayed in Vale to help the people. A few other huntsmen and huntresses followed her example, to which she was grateful of. Although, there wasn't much to help with other than damage control with the people. It was painful to think that most of the damage in front of her was self-inflicted – a result of mistrust bubbling within people as the world around turned to chaos. The abandoned buildings, the skeletons by the alley, the orphans, they were a result of the human and faunus-kind's fear and doubt._

 _The gaping maw she was standing before, though? It was done by_ _ **them**_ _. It was actually the result of a claw strike, but it looked more like a huge trench than anything else. The damage continued from there, with toppled buildings from mere wing flaps as well as fire blasts and laser of lights incinerating parts of the city. The city had been an arena for_ _ **their**_ _battle, its inhabitants seen as nothing but ants beneath them._

 _In the distance was Beacon, the CCT tower in ruins, its top missing – effectively cutting any form of long-range communication between all the kingdoms. Beacon itself was in no better condition, overrun by Grimm with no other life form in sight._

 _She remembered that day as if it only happened yesterday – the day everything started. The day they lost everything to the_ _ **Deity Brothers**_ _– and the world began to end._

* * *

"I have to say, Torchwick. I did not expect for such a fine dinner. What's the occasion?"

Roman Torchwick stood up from where he sat with a glass of whiskey in hand. "I noticed that you've been gaining quite a lot of Lien recently, Marcus. Is this the new business venture you were talking about a few months back?"

Marcus was a criminal, a thief, a smuggler. But most of all, he was an opportunist. He was no huntsman, and his portly figure, snugged in an expensive dark-colored suit showed that clearly. His thick, yet groomed beard spoke of a lavish lifestyle, and the rings adorning his fingers showed even more of it.

"Oho!" Marcus laughed. "Do you want a cut out of it? I have to say, you run one of the best smuggling operations in Vale. It would be beneficial for both of us if we were to work together."

Roman smiled, circling the table, which was filled with an assortment of fancy food and the like. "Indeed it would be. But I have to ask. Aren't you afraid that the police might know of this?"

Marcus let out a hearty laugh. "The police in Vale aren't very competent, friend! The huntsmen might be troubling, but without them? It's like playing with children!"

"Hmm, be careful, Marcus," Roman stood close to Marcus' seat, putting his glass of whiskey on the table. "You might just be playing with fire."

"I'm always careful, Torchwick."

"Evidently? No, not always," Roman chuckled, moving his gloved hand to the ice bucket near him and taking the icepick in his hands. "Do you want some more ice for your drink?"

"Certainly," Marcus smiled, his eyes set on his food and hands already holding the utensils.

Then Roman drove the icepick through the side of Marcus' head.

"Are you experiencing a slight headache, Marcus?" Roman asked, as he circled around the table again, picking up his glass of whiskey and sitting back on his seat. He scanned Marcus' reaction, the icepick he had picked up lodged inside Marcus' skull.

"I-I can't s-see," Marcus stuttered, eyes unfocused and lips trembling. Even his fingers were acting up, the disturbance in his brain messing with his motoric. "D-did you say something, R-Roman? I c-can't seem to hear you v-very clearly."

Roman sipped his whiskey as he watched Marcus struggling to even stumble around, his body not cooperating with his damaged brain. Who knew that those anatomy books he had read back at Beacon would be useful someday?

Putting down his glass of whiskey, Roman pulled out a cigar from his breast pocket. Lighting it up, he released a puff of smoke towards Marcus' face. The man didn't flinch. It seemed that his sense of smell was disturbed as well.

Fricking hilarious…

Then the door suddenly swung open – Neo's tri-colored figure peeking in from behind it. She tilted her head and pointed a finger behind her.

Roman raised an eyebrow. "A guest?" he asked. "I'm kind of busy here, Neo. Send them away."

"Too late," said a gruff voice as he pushed past the girl. "I'm kind of in a hurry, Roman. Don't want to wait until tomorrow morning for you to finish whatever business you have."

Ignoring the transgression, Roman stood up, letting out another puff of smoke. "Ah, my favorite upperclassman – Qrow Branwen!"

Qrow raised an eyebrow. "I'm flattered. But If I'm looking to be flattered, this is the last place I'd think of. And what's this?" Qrow gestured at the twitching form of Marcus, the icepick still lodged to the side of his skull. "I thought you don't deal in assassinations personally?"

"Circumstances called for it – and I felt like it," Roman said. "The man had been running a human and faunus trafficking operation for the past few months. Cheap labors and the like, you know – the usual stuffs on Mistral."

"Didn't take you for a bleeding heart," Qrow crossed his arms.

"Not a bleeding heart," Roman let out a puff of smoke. "Just don't want to bleed for real. Human and faunus trafficking is fine and dandy in Mistral. Everyone does it – even the police, to an extent," he shrugs. "But in Vale? Too high profile. Huntsmen have more influence here than they do in Mistral. Quite a few figures in the underworld want this guy dead, especially since he has connections to many of them – me included."

"So the plan is to kill the guy before he's caught by the authorities?" Qrow asked, pulling his flask out. "Don't see why you should go out on theatrics, though."

"Because why the fuck not?" Roman spread his arms wide with a smile. "If I gotta do something unpleasant, might as well make it as pleasant as possible."

"W-who's that?" Marcus asked. "Can y-you turn on the l-lights?"

Roman chuckled darkly. "Well, pleasant for me, of course. Would you do the honor?" he gestured at Marcus.

Qrow narrowed his eyes, before shaking his head with a roll of his eyes. Pocketing his flask back in, he put a hand around the icepick, took a deep breath, and quickly pulled it out. Blood spurted out from the wound, and Marcus' form twitched for a second or two before unceremoniously falling face first into the meal in front of him. Qrow grimaced as blood kept pouring out onto the plate, mixing with sauce and gravy.

"Great," Qrow groaned, pulling out his flask and taking a swig. "Now I've got blood on my shoes."

Roman crossed his left arm across his chest, his right still holding to his cigar as he scanned the murder scene. "Yeah, I didn't really take the mess into account. Oh, well," he shrugged. "Neo! Clean this up for me."

The petite girl quietly entered the room and dragged Marcus' dead body by its feet, showing a surprising amount of strength, while leaving a trail of blood on the floor as she exited the room. Qrow shook his head before turning back to Roman. He was never one for assassinations.

Roman sat back down and stretched his feet on the table. "So, what brings you here?"

Qrow pulled the chair that Marcus had occupied and dragged it to another part of the table closer to Roman, not wanting to have a pool of blood in front of him while conversing. "Ozpin has continued his search for the Fall Maiden. How is the search for Spring?"

"This again?" Roman sighed. "Fall has been missing for centuries, and Spring for a decade, Qrow. They're not exactly on the top of my priority list."

"Well, it'll have to be," Qrow said, taking a swig from his flask. "I'm heading to Mistral to meet up with Winter Schnee. Was asked by Ozpin to help her on her White Fang problem, and then ask her about Fall."

"Yeah, I know about that bit," Roman said, puffing his cigar.

"Why am I not surprised?"

"I do know everything."

"Not everything. Just most things," Qrow corrected. "You remember that Summer used to complain about you on this, right? Do you remember how many times she called you a fake?"

"And what of it?" Roman shrugged. "Sure, maybe I do not know everything, but a good fake is indistinguishable from the real one. As long as me, the fake, is believed to be the real thing by other people, then I'm as good as real."

"Huh," Qrow chuckled. "That's a new one. You should've used that argument against Summer all those years ago."

Roman narrowed his eyes. "You didn't come here to talk about our old flame for a dead woman. Get to the point."

"Struck a nerve, didn't I?"

"Entire. Team," Roman smirked.

"Fuck you…"

Roman chuckled. "Struck a nerve, didn't I?"

"Touché. Well, I'm here to talk about two things, really," Qrow sighed, taking another swig from his flask before pocketing it. "First off, it's about the Brothers returning. Ozpin thinks there have been signs."

"The Brothers?" Roman raised an eyebrow. "Is that why he's so desperate to find the Maidens? So that when the time comes, he would have access to the relics?"

"That's the gist of it. I also want you to look out for signs of their return in Vale while I'm in Mistral, then report to Ozpin so that he could handle it," Qrow said. "Too much destruction on our hands, and the public might think it's a Grimm attack or something. We don't need any extra negativity. The White Fang is spreading enough as it is."

"Not going to promise anything," Roman shrugged. "I'll ask Neo to look around, though."

"And one more thing. I heard that one of my nieces crossed path with you during a robbery. And robbing dust stores? I thought you're above that?"

"Little Red? A feisty one, she is," Roman chuckled. "So eager to jump into the fray, too – just like her mother, even without the full image of the situation. The old man owes me and Junior some money, so I came to collect. Simple as that. You'd think that with as many business joints as he has, he'd learn not to ask for more loan than he could handle. Watch out for her, Qrow, lest she ends up dead like her mother."

"Is that a threat?"

"It's a warning," Roman smiled. "The only reason she's healthy and attending Beacon is because she ran into _me_. Other criminals wouldn't be so merciful. And even then, I was only merciful because I had a past with Summer."

"Fair enough," Qrow growled. "You might not go out of your way to hurt them, but what about those kids under you? Those _souvenirs_ you got from Mistral, as you call them."

"Emerald and Mercury?" Roman tilted his head. "If your nieces, along with their friends get in their way, I can't really guarantee a smooth sailing. Emerald might be more merciful, but Mercury? At the very least, it's a trip to the hospital. The boy's an assassin through and through, even when dealing with aberrant. Doesn't really like leaving loose ends and witnesses. Also, I'm sure you've heard about Tai and Raven's kid trashing Junior's club, unprovoked, I might add."

Qrow sighed. "Yeah, I know."

"Not going to talk to her about it?"

Qrow shrugged. "She got that from her mother."

The redhead scoffed. "You think I – or anyone else gives a damn? A lot of important figures had to cash out money for repairs, Ozpin included. Junior's an information hub for criminals and huntsmen alike – at least those that are willing to look away from the shadier things happening there. He's an investment, and a sound one at that," Roman let out a puff of smoke. "Those kinds of behavior are exactly what paint a red target on your head in this industry, Qrow. Blondie has gotten quite a few gazes, and not the kind she could wink and blow kisses at."

Qrow growled at Roman's prodding, not appreciating the criminal talking down on one of his family members. However, Roman continued.

"Not to mention that she was looking for Raven," Roman narrowed his eyes. "Be careful there. Dig in too deep and she'll have trouble getting out. The people Raven associates with, and not to mention the things she faces against…"

"You think I don't know that?" Qrow growled. "I'll take care of my family. You just stay out of it."

Roman chuckled darkly. "Oh, Qrow. When will you learn that I just can't help but know these things?"

Qrow glared at the redheaded man who was calmly puffing cigar smoke from his mouth, fully knowing what the thief meant. He would readily admit that Roman Torchwick wasn't someone he would want to be acquaintances with, let alone consider a friend. Heck, his team members, and by extension, family, had no reason to know the man personally – except for the very fact that Roman and Summer knew each other before entering Beacon.

A story for another time, and it was a story he was less than enthused to retell anyway. The story of his team leader and their underclassman – by a year – was a long one. The chapter would be nothing but expository segments. And goddamn, Qrow hated doing expositions. The last time he did that regarding the supernatural, as well as the Maidens, Winter had come up with so many questions. So many that he kind of regretted ever recruiting her in the first place.

Standing up from his seat, Qrow headed towards the door, before turning his head back towards Roman. "Remember what I said. If you find anything, report to Oz. Got it?"

Roman gave a mock salute from his sitting position. "I make no promises. But if Neo finds anything, I'll holler."

Qrow sighed. He guessed as much, as the man was doing this with no pay anyway. It would have to do. With nothing left to say between them, Qrow closed the door behind him, not even looking at the small figure of Neo who was standing by the door. He sighed once more as he got to the exit.

It had started pouring. Just great…

* * *

"You suck at storytelling…"

"Well, excuse me!" Ruby huffed, arms crossed under her breasts as she sat on Jaune's bed. "I'm the one who can barely see out of her eyes!"

True to that, but Jaune wondered what that had to do with anything. Still, he wasn't complaining about the situation. Ruby had returned to his bed, and he had discouraged her from going anywhere else, should the pain flare up again. Knowing his luck, he had a feeling it would.

"I bet you can't even see what's dangling in front of your face, huh?" Jaune chuckled, holding the offending object in front of Ruby's face. With her vision heavily impaired, she could only squint and sniff at said object.

'Bwehh! What is that!?" she gawked. "It smells funny!"

True, it did smell funny. The spoonful of Vacuan marmite he was holding in front of Ruby's face wasn't something he particularly liked either. Come to think of it, why did he even have it in his kitchen cupboard? Was it so that he could use it for a joke? He didn't know whether he should consider himself a comedic genius for thinking about it, or a complete fool for wasting money on such a silly thing. Thankfully, his apartment wasn't full of useless items he never used. He was practical like that.

Well, being a fool would be consistent with his current and canon portrayal, but then again, he'd like a change of pace, you know? Like, Jaune hadn't even had his aura unlocked, let alone discover his semblance.

 _Damn you, canon Jaune_ … Despite the circumstances, he still got the better deal…

Still, back to the current continuity…

"Why don't you start from the beginning, Ruby?" Jaune said, putting the spoonful of marmite away. "And no, don't use wild gestures. I can barely understand any of it."

"Hrmph!" Ruby pouted. "Fine! I'll tell the story in a _much_ less exciting manner, so that _you_ can understand it."

Was she making a jab at him? If so, he wasn't particularly impressed. Even after only a few hours, he had already missed Blake's sharp, deprecating jabs. Her jabs were scathing, and often times surprising, which gave him an incentive to get back at her. Ruby, though? It was like dealing with one of his sisters.

"Shoot, then."

* * *

Okay, so after meeting you and Blake, I went to one of the middle schools in Vale, specifically the one that middle schooler I asked before go to. It was a nice school, not that different from Signal. Have you been to Signal, Jaune?

Fine, I'll stay on topic. You're no fun… Eehh, don't put that funny-smelling thing in front of me again. I'll stay on topic, I promise!

Where was I? Oh, right! The middle school. At the time, it was when some of the kids were going home from school. It was pretty crowded, and I asked some of them the same questions I had asked the kid I met on the street. It seems the charm sold to them had become something rather common, even among other schools.

So, with me going after culprit, I asked them if they had seen him or her. They said that the surrounding was always distorted whenever they made a transaction. So, I guessed that the culprit is using some kind of semblance to hide their identity. One of the kids managed to catch a glimpse of a white cloak, though. It's not much to go on, so I asked the place where they make their transaction.

Turns out there are multiple of them! Can you believe it? Ugh, that made things so tedious! I had to run through Vale to check each and every place they mentioned Thankfully, they weren't lying, and after the third hour or so, I met the culprit.

What happened, you ask? Well, the simplest description would be to say we fought. I'm kind of ashamed to say this, but it wasn't much of a fight…

Well, you've heard Yang's story when you were at our dorm, right? About our mother? Well, the cloak she was wearing – yes, the culprit is a she – looks exactly the same as what our dad used to tell us our mother wore, the only difference being it's more torn than before.

She thought I was looking to buy something, so I took the opportunity to charge right in while her guard was down. But I was distracted during the whole fight – and before I knew it, she touched me on my forehead. Everything became blurry after that. I swung my scythe, but it hit nothing. She dodged my blows as if they were extremely slow. She was merely sidestepping my attacks, and her offensive…

She's good. I had so many near-misses during our fight. She's fast – probably as fast as Weiss or Blake, or maybe even faster! The only thing I caught from her was her skin and eye colors, which are mocha and red – so definitely not my mother.

I've never met anyone like that, so it was surely no one I knew. So why does she have our mother's cloak? Even when I was swinging my scythe at her, I wanted to ask her where she got it – about what happened to our mother. Is she dead? How did she die? Is she alive? Where is she now?

Aah!

S-sorry, the pain flared up again. No need for painkillers. I can handle it. No need for more wet towels… Y-you don't have to look so enthusiastic while suggesting it, Jaune…

Where was I? Oh, right! The fight. It was over before I knew it. That woman touched my forehead once more, and then I was thrown into that garbage heap where you found me, with my eyes and body feeling like they're burning. So, what do you think?

* * *

Jaune didn't really know what to think. Ruby's description of the culprit didn't really paint a clear picture on whether the ability the culprit used was a semblance or a sort of magic like the ones vampire possess.

But then again, he didn't really have anything to compare it with, as he had no firsthand experience on it. His time as a vampire was pretty-short lived. He would dare say that Whitley had more opportunity in exploring his powers than Jaune himself did. The things Whitley could do as a vampire... Must be the Schnee blood... Those glyphs semblance they had was just unfair. Next thing he knew, the Schnees could summon Grimm or something.

No, wait. Don't answer that. Don't even think about it.

 _You were thinking about it, weren't you?_

 _You were._

 _I could see it in your eyes._

"Uh, Jaune?"

"What, Ruby?"

She looked at him strangely, before shrugging off whatever she saw Jaune was doing, pretending that he hadn't just glared at an empty space. "What are we going to do now?"

Jaune blinked. "We? What's this about we?"

"Ah, right," Ruby nodded at his direction. She must be trying to look at him in the eye, but she was instead 'staring' at his right shoulder. Just how blurry was her vision? "I can't get you involved in this. There's no 'we', just me."

"Who says anything about 'you' either?"

"B-but," Ruby stuttered, genuinely surprised that he wasn't letting her go off to solve whatever this was. "I got into this. I need to catch that woman!"

"No you don't."

"I have to!"

Jaune sighed, "Why, Ruby? Don't you think she thrashed you enough?"

"A hero never backs down from a fight!"

"I didn't know heroes are stupid."

Ruby gasped. "What did you say!?"

"A good huntress picks her fights, Ruby, not get dragged into it," Jaune said. "She beat you, and now you want to just rush back out there and face her?"

"It'll be different!" Ruby exclaimed. "I won't screw up!"

Jaune sighed, "Your team is coming to pick you up tomorrow. Best get some rest. You might not be feeling it, but you've got a light fever going on, and not to mention I have to keep watch when your pain flares up again."

"How do you know it's going to flare up again?" Ruby asked.

Jaune shrugged. "Call it a hunch."

It wasn't really a hunch. Not really. From the little details he could see, Ruby's chest was heaving every now and then – a sign of laboured breathing, which meant she was holding out on her pain. Her body was obviously still stinging with pain, but she didn't want him to worry.

Really, it would only make his job harder, to be honest. And her eyes. She was blinking too much for it to be natural. When one blinks a lot, it was an obvious sign of discomfort. Not only did she blink a lot, but she also scrunched her eyes a lot when she thought he wasn't looking at her – which was a lot, as she couldn't even see him properly.

Ruby looked at him skeptically for a moment, before sighing loudly at the thought of her situation. "Fine," she grumbled. "I'll get some rest."

"Good," Jaune nodded. "Don't try anything funny."

"I should be telling you that, you perv," Ruby stuck out her tongue. Jaune could only sigh as Ruby stuck her tongue towards the direction of the closet – far from his direction, her intended target.

Shutting the door behind him as Ruby laid on his bed, Jaune pulled out his scroll. It was just an hour before midnight. Should he call him? He had planned on getting to the bottom of this matter on his own, but he just couldn't leave Ruby on her own, even if it was his own apartment. Chances were, he'd be angry that Jaune had called him near midnight just to babysit.

To call or not to call. That was the question.

...

Eh, he wouldn't be too mad. Let's just hope he was in an aggreable mood. Pressing the intended contact on his scroll, Jaune held his scroll by his ear. He did not have to wait even five seconds before it was answered.

"Hey, Whitley! What a beautiful night, right?" Jaune said, blissfully ignoring the patter of rain against his window.

* * *

 **Not really satisfied with this chapter, to be honest. This is more like the calm before the storm.** **Yes, this story does in fact have an overarching story, as shown in this chapter. Some of you may have some inkling as to why I showed a glimpse of the future like that, but it'll come to light. Don't worry. Probably sometime after Jaune Vamp, though. Still a long ways to go.**

 **Also, that cover is the cover for Whitley Drachen** **, drawn by yours truly** **. I'll be drawing a cover for each flashback story arcs. Speaking of flashback arcs, I'm wondering if people are interested for a Neo-Roman flashback story arc? I also have something in mind for a Winter flashback arc, if anyone's interested.**

 **On another note, I feel that I have to share this with you guys. Mostly about my writing, and why I love writing dialogues. It's largely because I believe that the best comedy or even the most heartfelt moments come from character interactions, and spoken dialogues are the most blatant form of that.**

 **Humor is also a nice tool for characterization, especially between friendly characters. I mean, that's how you get friends in real life. You might also wonder why the conversation between Blake and Jaune was written so randomly, even going as far as referencing other series a couple of times and breaking the fourth wall.**

 **Well, life is random. Unexpected things happen, and honestly, I was winging most of the conversation anyway. In my draft for that set of dialogues, I simply wrote** _ **'and then Blake and Jaune talked for a while'**_ **. A conversation that is formulaic can be really boring, and you can actually see that while reading if said conversation isn't set up well.**

 **For instance, compare Jaune's interactions with Blake alongside his interactions with Cinder. For the most part, his interactions with Cinder felt more relaxed for both characters, with a nice flow put into it. That's because there's an established history between them – they speak of things that happened to them in the past, reference it during a conversation, and not to mention the intimacy between them on a certain level. Jaune and Blake are two complete strangers getting to know each other. That itself is pretty self-explanatory.**

 **Sorry for the ramble. I just feel the need to share this with you guys, since I see a lot of writers fall into these same pitfalls when dealing with characters. You can't shove them into an overarching plot. You need to flesh them out first. While in a fanfic, I get that characters have been established in the source material, but it's a bit of a different story when writing an AU, as most people expect something different. Still, I guess what irks me the most is that RT is falling into these same pitfalls when writing characters. That finale is probably one of the only on-screen interactions between Ruby and Blake, hahaha (no, sitting beside each other doesn't count. RWBY Chibi doesn't count either). And Ruby's not much of a character herself – more like a mascot for the series. I'd argue that Blake, Yang, and Jaune felt more like the protagonists, with everyone else in for the ride.**

 **Don't forget to follow, favorite, and review. Peace out.**

* * *

 **TEASER FOR THE NEXT CHAPTER: _Ruby Lamb, Part 4_**

"Don't you try anything funny, Whittle!"

"My name is Whitley."

"Yeah, that's what I said!"

"And you're talking to Jaune's closet."


End file.
